Tide in Nets
by HungerGames138
Summary: Finnick Odair has always been the boy every girl wants. He's tall, athletic, and gorgeous, with his bronze colored hair and golden skin. He's only got eyes for one girl, though, and when he's chosen to compete in The Hunger Games what will he do to get home to her?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters. They are all the brilliant Suzanne Collins' creation.**

**I would like to thank TheHungerGamesFan11 for their encouragement and convincing me to write this. I think you'll enjoy this the most :)**

"I got three!" I yell. I wave my trident at my dad across the water. He's on the boat with the net. Even on reaping day, we work.

The powerful muscles in my arms and legs propel me forward as I swim toward my dad and climb back in the boat, sopping wet. The sun feels warm on my golden skin. I shake my head and droplets fall out of my perfect bronze hair. "Here, Dad," I say, handing my dad the trident. Three perfectly speared fish.

"Good job, son," he says. "Let's head home. I caught about 20 fish. We can sell half at the market after the reaping."

I live in District 4. We specialize in fishing. The sparkling sea is our friend. Dad ties the boat to our private dock by our house. We hike up to beach and walk into our house. I head to the kitchen and eat some bread with seaweed sprinkled on top, and bits of tuna for early lunch.

After my early lunch, I head back to the water to calm myself before the reaping. I don't have to worry about the reaping, being one of the richer kids.

Everyone knows the reaping system is unfair. The poor get the worst of it. Every child between the ages of twelve through eighteen are entered in for the annual Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death. You are entered once, at the age of twelve, once more at the age of thirteen. Since the entries are cumulative, you'd have seven entries at the age of eighteen.

If you are starving and poor, you can opt to enter your name in more times in exchange for tesserae. Each tessera is worth a year's supply of oil and grain, but just barely enough. For people that are poor and have a big family, this is unfair. You can do this for all your family members. One person with tesserae, one extra entry.

Even if I wasn't rich, I wouldn't have many extra entries. I'm an only child. I'm fourteen, so I only have three entries.

I sit on the beach awhile, lost in thought. What will this year's Games be like? It's kind of exciting for us. We, District 4, are a more wealthy district, so we can afford to even have volunteers for the Hunger Games. The volunteers are usually people who have been training for their whole lives. They know how to use a sword, throw knives, and other important things like that. We haven't won recently. District 4's had about five or six victors before, but all of them are dead. They won the earlier Games, like the 5th, the 8th, the 11th, etc. The last victor won long ago. We lost almost all of our victors to some sickness, addiction like morphling or drinking, and suicides. Only one is still living. Her name is Mags and she's in her seventies!

I suppose I'd stand a winning chance. I'm tall and strong. I can handle a spear and throw some knives because I use them occasionally for obtaining fish in shallow water. Although I've never seen one in the Games, my best weapon is my trident, which I use to fish. I can tie knots quickly, enabling me to weave nets.

I'm so lost in thought that I don't notice her until she's right behind me. "Hi, Finnick!" she says, excited.

I turn around to see Annie Cresta, a girl with dark hair and dark green eyes. I'd know her voice anywhere. She's thirteen, one year younger than me. She's an amazing swimmer, even better than me. She taught me to tie knots and make nets. I was 12, so it was only the year before the last, when my dad said I lacked the patience to tie a decent knot. She popped up out of nowhere and taught me all the knots that exist. I had the patience when she taught me.

I have a crush on her, and I think she likes me too. The crush didn't start very quickly, though. I knew her as one of the louder, but nicer girls at school, although I never talked to her. Then, when she showed up to teach me to tie knots and make nets, we became summer friends. We were friends for a whole two years before I really started to notice her Her smile with teeth as white as pearls, her laugh like the tinkling of bells, her dark hair reminding me of the ocean at night when it's dark. These features started to really stand out to me. She became not just a nice girl, but someone precious, a pearl in a sea of green that I was lucky to meet. She's really beautiful and acts differently with me than anyone else. Around others, she's loud and energetic. She is always the one who's closed off, keeping her secrets inside, though, as if she trusts no one. Around me, she's calm and quiet. I suppose she becomes a little shy. She's funny and shares her secrets with me. I relax her, though. I change around Annie too.

Usually, I'm always the kid playing pranks, the one always flexing his muscles, the handsome boy, the popular boy. With my golden skin, bronze hair, sea green eyes, and athletic build, I don't have to try very hard. Half the girls at school are in love with me, but I don't care for their love. I only care for Annie's.

Around Annie, I'm more quiet too. I still joke around, but I don't dare be mean. I laugh at her jokes, even if they're not funny. I don't flex my muscles or anything like that.

"Going to the reaping?" I ask with a laugh. You're required to attend the reapings or you'll be imprisoned. The only exception is if you're dying. The Peacekeepers, the district officials sent by the Capitol leave us alone as long as we keep our industry going. However, on reaping day, there is an exception. If you're not at the reaping, they'll be how they have to arrest you publicly so you'll be humiliated and bring you to the small jail we have.

"Yeah!" Annie says, laughing. Then she becomes her calm, serious self that no one but me knows exists. "I'm scared you'll be picked."

"Don't worry about it! I'm scared you'll be picked!" I say, and throw my head back, soaking in the sun as I laugh. She's watching me carefully. "C'mon! Let's go swim."

The worried expression wipes off her face. "Okay, Finn."

I run cool water with her, hand in hand. I let go of her hand as I dive into the water, the green, foamy waves. When I come back to surface for air, I notice that she's just sitting at the edge of the water, not as excited as me. I join her, shaking my head and spraying her with seawater.

"Hey, Annie, why aren't you comin' in?" I ask.

She laughs and says, blushing, "I like watching you swim."

I blush and say something smart, like, "Uhhhhh..."

"Oh, never mind!" she says, blushing even deeper to a bright red.

"No, I want to hear it!" I demand.

"You know, Finn, I used to think, since you're the popular boy, that you're self-centered, just a guy showing off and trying to be better than you are. But Finn, you're not. I don't want you to get reaped. You might turn into a monster, killing people like you kill fish. So, please promise me, Finnick, that you'll try hard to come home, but only kill when you have to!" Annie's voice is turning into a pleading one.

"Ah, yeah Annie, I promise! I'm only 14! Relax!" I say, grabbing her by the head and shaking it teasingly.

I walk to the water's edge with her. "Come into the water with me," I say, jumping back in. The water's cool as always, and I open my eyes in the water. I swim to deeper water and tread, waiting for her to join me.

She hesitates, and says, "All right, Finnick." She leaps into the water beside me.

She surfaces and her dark hair floats around her. I go back under and don't come up for a long time. I notice that Annie starts to panic, searching the area. I pop up next to her, scaring the life out of her.

She whacks me on the arm really hard and screams, "Don't do that, Finnick Odair! Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

I just say, "Ow!" I laugh and whack her back, lightly. I go back under, looking at the sea floor. I see a few shells and surface. "Look at these shells," I say. "They're beautiful, just like you." I press the shells into her hand.

She blushes and can't look me in the eye. "No more than you," she says, quietly.

She leans in close to me, her forehead touching mine. She's about to kiss me, when my dad calls me from the house. "Finnick! It's time to leave for the reaping!" It's a good thing he can't see us.

I flash a smile at Annie as we pull apart, and she's blushing a deep red. "Good luck, Annie," I say.

"G-g-good luck, Finn-i-ick," she stammers, still blushing.

"C'mon, Annie! Don't be like that with me, alright? What's there to be blushing about?" I ask.

"N-n-nothing, Fi-i-in," she stammers out. "See you l-l-later."

I flash her another smile. "After the reaping, ya wanna come back again to swim? Just the two of us?"

"L-l-like a d-d-date?" she asks.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. See you at the reaping! Hope you wear a nice dress. You don't have to try so hard to be pretty, though," I say casually.

"Okay," she says, smiling. Her teeth shine, dazzling in the sun.

I get out of the clear, green water and walk up to my house.

"What took you so long, Finnick?" my dad asks.

"Oh, I was hangin' out with Annie." I say.

I walk into my room and change into a white shirt and blue shorts. Here in 4, it's always hot. Normally, in other districts, long pants are required, but they're not so strict about it here.

"Oh, well, then let's go!" my dad replies.


	2. Chapter 2

My mother joins us and we walk all the way to the town's market. This is where the reaping will be. There's a temporary stage with three chairs. One will be for District 4's only past victor that's alive, Mags. Another chair is for our district escort to the Capitol. Her name is Aliya. She has whiskers and gems implanted on her face. Her red hair is an unnaturally bright color. The other chair is for our mayor. We call him Mayor Trey. He's nice and young, around his mid-thirties.

His daughter, Laura, is one of those girls at school that always stares dreamily at me when I flex my muscles. Of course, I usually flex my muscles to see who's paying attention. I like to keep count of which girls will come screaming and chasing me home, stalking me on the beach. And why not admit it? I love the attention. I like to flirt. I don't love any of my lovers back, but I suppose I like to be seductive and all that. But it's all just a joke.

Everyone signs in and the kids twelve through eighteen are lead to roped off areas, separated by age. The oldest are in the front, the youngest in the back. The parents surround the roped off areas, their eyes searching for their children. I glance at the other fourteen-year-olds. I exchange nods, winks, and smiles with those around me.

The mayor starts to read the history of Panem into the microphone on the podium set up for him. Basically, what was once called North America had a whole bunch of natural disasters and people fought for what little remained. What was left was a powerful Capitol, the main government of 13 districts. There was a time when the districts rebelled against the Capitol. The 13th district was completely destroyed and the other districts were defeated.  
The Treaty of Treason requires us, the districts, to provide one boy and one girl from each district to fight with each other and the tributes from the other districts in a vast arena that can range from a frozen tundra, to a desert with no water, to a dream-like scene. If you are chosen to be a tribute, you go to the Capitol to prepare to enter the arena. You're only out of the Games when you die unless you win. If you're the last one standing, you win and live a life of ease and become rich. Your district gets gifts, mostly food we can't afford normally, for a year. This is the punishment for the rebellion and it shows that there should never be one again.

"It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks," the mayor finishes. The mayors all across Panem are probably saying the same things as Trey right now.

Trey reads down the list of victors. There have been six. Mags walks to the podium and everyone claps, for she is the only one smart enough to still be living. Mags hobbles back to her seat and sits down.

Aliya walks up to the podium. "Wow, it's such an honor to be the escort for District 4 again!" she says excitedly. "Anyways, you've done enough waiting. Let's pick our girl tribute!"

Aliya reaches into a glass ball that holds the names of every girl entered into the reaping. I hope with all my might that it's not Annie.

"Dahlia Sermee!" Aliya shouts. Dahlia walks to the stage calmly. She's seventeen. She is one of the smaller girls in our school. She's not popular, and definitely not pretty. She's a snob. However, she is one of those people obsessed with me. Dahlia doesn't fish or do any work, so she isn't strong at all. She just chats with her friends most of the time. This is a little strange because almost everyone over the age of five works. Usually, District 4's tributes are nice and strong, as we have volunteers almost every year. They train at the academy we have in our district. Training starts as young as five and goes until eighteen. Once they're eighteen, they will most likely volunteer for the Games. If not, they become just another worker in our district. Most can handle knives and spears, maybe even a sword.

Dahlia's friends burst out crying and I'm not sure if it's in happiness our sadness. District 4 is normally happy to have good tributes chosen. When they're not good tributes, no one really cares but those closest to her.

"Let's give a round of applause to our newest tribute, Dahlia Sermee!" Everyone claps, but everyone knows she won't be a victor. "Now let's choose our boy tribute!"

Her hand has barely touched a slip when she picks it up and reads it, "Finnick Odair!" My heart lurches.

I calmly walk up to the stage and smile. I think I can win these Games. With my skills and strength, I could be labeled as one of those trained beforehand, even though I have never been to the academy.

"Let's give a round of applause to our newest tribute, Finnick Odair!" The clapping is a lot louder than Dahlia's. They are happy to have a good tribute, one that will most probably win. "Do we have any volunteers for our two fine tributes?" Aliya asks. She is greeted by silence. There can only be one victor. I'm good enough to win. Those in the academy don't even dare take my place this year. They don't need some other trained person to replace Dahlia because they have me, a tribute with a clear shot of winning.

The mayor finishes the Treaty of Treason and tells us to shake hands. The anthem starts to play as Dahlia eagerly grabs my hand like she just won the Games. I shake it a little more hesitantly. She doesn't let go of my hand until the anthem's over. It's kind of annoying, but somewhat reassuring. If my fellow tribute, who I'm probably going to end up killing, can fall for me, why not Capitol girls? I can get sponsors easily! But there's that little voice in my head, in fact it's Annie from this morning, worried about me leaving. Will she be there, watching me until I come home? Break apart and hide, shutting the world out? Will I even come home? District 4 is supposed to love these Games. We're supposed to be proud to be chosen, but am I?


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello all! I see my new fanfiction is growing at a faster pace than the other. No matter. The new chapter for In Peeta's Eyes STILL can't be finished until Catch. com decides to go fix it all -.- You're probably asking why I didn't have a back up. This is cuz i'm usin my iPod to type up my fanfics. Exhausting work for my thumbs :P anyways enjoy this chapter. its my favorite so far! Thanks for all the views/visitors, don't forget to review and check out my other fanfic, In Peeta's Eyes! I want to thank HungerGamesFan11 for telling me to write this!**

We are lead into our Justice Building. I then follow a Peacekeeper into a room next to Dahlia's and wait for the people to come and say goodbye to me. We get one hour before we leave for the train that will bring us to the Capitol.

The room is very clean and spacious, with a couch and a chair for the guests to sit. The couch, which is soft, has a silken blanket over it. The chair is mostly velvet. I sit in the chair, waiting for my first visitors.

My parents come first, congratulating me. They know I will probably win, so they barely have to be worried. Of course as parents, they are still worried. We hug and laugh for a bit about Dahlia's handshake. They sit on the couch.

After we stop laughing, my dad goes, "Now, remember, Finnick. You have to get your hands on a knife or a spear. A trident is desirable, but they probably won't have one. If you can manage sponsors, which I think you will, my handsome son, you can ask for a trident. You must get the Capitol's favor. All in District 4 will be depending on you. Dahlia's a nobody compared to you, so you must show the Capitol that you're someone special."

After a long time of silence, the Peacekeepers come to take them away. "Good luck, Finnick!" my mother shouts before the Peacekeepers close the door.

Next, a bunch of girls from school come in. There's eight of them. Two of them are Dahlia's friends, Bree and Pearl. They appear to have been crying. Bree and Pearl were probably just in Dahlia's room. All eight of them are fifteen, older than me.

"Finnick! Oh my gosh! We're going to miss you sooooo much!" Pearl says. They all crowd around my chair and I start to feel a little squished.

"You probably don't know us. I'm-" Bree starts.

"Bree, yeah, I know." I say.

"He knows my name!" she squeals.

"Yeah, Bree, we all heard!" Pearl says, mad that I know Bree.

"Relax, Pearl!" I say, throwing my head back and laughing. They all sigh like they're seeing paradise. "So ladies, anything else you want to say? Cassie? Sandy? Aria? Lauren? Raquel? Myra?" I ask, listing all their names and flashing a smile.

"N-n-no," they all stutter in unison. "He knows my name! And his smile is so dazzling! Ahhh! I could faint!" They're whispering among themselves.

I flex my muscles, appearing to be bored, but loving the attention. They all ask to touch my muscles and I relent.

"They're so rock hard!" Sandy squeals.

"Duh, I swim, spear fish, and run on the beach," I say. I decide to flirt with Pearl. "So, Pearl," I purr. I take her hand, ignoring her sigh, and say, "Your hands are so soft! You must not work a lot. That's the kind of girl I like. The kind just likes to have fun, appreciating all I do. Playing with me while I work. The kind that just sits aside, watching me, loving the sun shining through my hair, loving the smell of me, my strong body." It's a complete lie, of course, but I need their favor over Dahlia's.

Pearl actually faints and the other girls roll their eyes. They ignore Pearl and scramble around, trying to get closer to me.

"Cassie, I just love your hair! I could play with it alllllll day," I exaggerate, playing with her straight, long, blonde hair. She faints too. Two down, six to go. I don't like light colored hair, to be honest. I'm suddenly longing for Annie and her long, dark hair. These girls are just my entertainment, my playthings.

"Sandy, I love your name. It reminds me of the warm sand. I just love to lie down in the sand. I just want to get close to it, like I want to get close to you," I say, leaning toward her, my lips brushing hers. She faints and the others smolder with jealousy. When Annie's not around, I become all seductive and flirty to get attention. A kiss is nothing, unless it's with Annie.

"Aria, I just love your style. The beautiful dresses you wear, the way your cute butt looks in jeans," I say. Another one down.

"Lauren, I love your eyes. They sparkle in the sun and are a really pretty brown," I wink at her. She goes down. I really hate brown eyes.

"Raquel, Myra, Bree, I love everything about you three. From the smell of your hair, to the hair flips you do. I love your styles, your eyes, so similar. I was just lying to Lauren. I like light colored eyes like your blue ones. I love your caramel colored hair, too," I say.

"Marry me," Raquel squeaks, as all three of them faint.

Marry you? Never. In your dreams! The Peacekeepers appear, but see the girls on the floor. "We'll take care of them," they tell me, and drag the eight girls out.

No one enters, and I start to feel a little lonely, when Annie pops out right behind me. "Hey, Finn!" she says, winking.

"Ha- wh- when- how did you get in here?!" I say, trying not to stutter. She's just so beautiful in her light green dress that were her reaping clothes.

"Oh, I sneaked in with that big group of girls. It was easy. I blended in and hid behind the couch while you flirted with those girls. Speaking of which, Finnick Odair, that was really mean. They really like you and you just go breaking their pretty little hearts." Annie says, in fake anger.

"Well, you know, I only have eyes for you," I say.

"Oh, don't you go trying to use those tricks with me!" Annie yells.

"Calm down, Annie. I'm serious. Those girls? I was just using them for practice for what I might need at the Capitol. I know that the girls will want me, even there. I'm tall, athletic, handsome, they'll be falling head over heels for me and maybe that's what I'll need to win! But the whole time, I'll be thinking of you. That seductive, flirty, attention-wanting person? Yeah, that's me. I love it, I could probably do it for a living, but it's all fake. I love how I act with you even more because it's real!" I say. "Come here." I walk over to the couch and pat the space next to me.

Annie sits down, trying to figure out what I said were lies and what I said were the truthful things. "So, you really do love me, and it's not all an act like with every girl that's not me?"

"Yeah," I say, leaning close to her. Our lips touch and then we're kissing. Her lips are so soft and I taste the sweetness of strawberries in my mouth. She doesn't pull away.

A Peacekeeper opens the door and sees us kissing. He must have a good heart because he says, "Aww, kids! You're so cute! I'm sorry little lady, but this boy's gotta go the the Capitol."

We pull apart and I whisper, "I love you," in her ear.

She presses something into my hand and says, "Wear it in the arena to remind you who you are. Finn, the boy I love is not a monster." Then, she follows the Peacekeeper out. The door closes for a few seconds and when it opens, Annie is gone. I shove Annie's gift into my pocket, wanting to look at it in my own private place.


	4. Chapter 4

**What's up guys?! Alright soooo Chapter 7 of the other fanfic should be up by the end of tomorrow. Depends how busy I am. My writing app is being annoying and not saving, so now I have a backup -_- This chapter is a little short. I finished chapter five! I'll pit it up when I finish 6. I see you guys like this fanfic! It's growing at a faster rate than In Peeta's Eyes! I have like 99 visitors and 200 views! Thanks! When I finish chapter 7 of IPE, I'll be alternating which chapters for which stories that I post. Does that make sense? Anyways review review review! I'll do the 75th Hunger Games (The one in Catching Fire) when I finish The Hunger Games in Peeta's perspective. Then, you can see what Peeta feels like and Finnick too! Hope you're enjoying the fanfictions I write (I know HungerGamesFan11 probably is, Bunnyluv by the email you've sent me -_- , and Mrs. Mellark by your review!) **

**But enough of me blabbing on. Enjoy the chapter!**

The Peacekeeper leads me into a car. Dahlia's already sitting inside. In no time at all, we're at the train station. The tribute train will take us to the Capitol very fast.

We walk into the station and cameras snap our pictures. Reporters come asking questions. "Are you and Dahlia dating?" one of them asks.

"No," I say as she says yes at the same time. I glare at her. "We're not dating and I don't plan to ever date her."

I storm past the reporter, waiting for the doors of the tribute train to open. Dahlia catches up with Aliya and the cameras swarm upon us. The doors open and I step inside. While the doors are beeping, more reporters shoot us questions. I answer most of them, so Dahlia won't say the wrong thing again.

"Finnick, how did you get that wonderful tan?" asks one reporter.

"I'm always on the beach. Walking, running in the sand, and I always swim in the water," I say.

"Finnick, do girls chase you home? If so, do you run away or let them come?" another reporter asks.

"Of course, I mean look at me! A better question to ask would be, why wouldn't they?! Of course I let them chase me, what can I do? I just want my privacy and they all want a part of me. They want to see my smile, feel my muscles, share a wink, and most of all, get a kiss. I do give one occasionally, but you have to be the right person," I say, flirtatiously. Dahlia sighs dreamily.

"Can I see your smile?" a reporter asks.

"Of course!" I say, smiling my pearly white teeth.

"Can I feel your muscles?" one reporter asks.

"Go ahead," I say. The attention is wonderful and no doubt this news is going around Panem. I wonder how Annie feels about all this.

"Wow! They're so hard! My husband can't even get these muscles and he, like, works out!" the reporter says after touching my muscles. It's clear in the way she speaks that she's from the Capitol.

One reporter winks at me and I wink back. She's saying into her mic, "Oh my gosh, he's winking at me!"

"Could you uhh kiss someone? Like right now?" another reporter shouts.

"Sure," I say, casually.

I grab Dahlia by the waist, bringing her into a dip, and kiss her on the lips. She faints.

"Fourteen and already seventeen year old girls love you! Amazing!" one reporter says.

The doors of the train slide close and I wave at the reporters while cameras snap pictures of me still holding Dahlia. When the train finally pulls away from the station, Dahlia comes to, but says, "Did I do a good job of acting my faint?"

Suddenly, I am mad, so mad that she played me. "Sure," I say, tossing her to the side like a rag doll. She almost hits the wall before she regains her footing.

"Why don't I show you to your rooms?" Aliya asks, trying the ease the tension. "Yours first, Finnick."

She leads me to a room in which I slam the door in her face. The walls are painted a nice blue-green. It calms me. The bedspread matches the walls. The lamp next to the bed appears to be modeled to a jellyfish. I wander around, getting the feel of my chamber. There's a bathroom with a shower stall, a sink, and a toilet. Colorful rugs cover the floor. I step back into the bedroom part and spot the dressing area, but I've had enough exploring already.

I sit on my bed and touch the sheets. They're made of silk, just like my own bed back at home. Then, after a while of this, I remember something. I pull the present that Annie gave me to wear in the arena. It's a necklace, a long chain of green dyed leather. There's a shell, the shell I gave her this morning before the reaping when we were about to kiss. I read what appears to be carved into the shell.

"Finn, the boy I love is not a monster."


	5. Chapter 5

**I think this is a little short too. Enjoy! Remember it's a special treat! Thanks to all that reviewed, HungerGamesFan11- as always- thanks! BunnyLuv... just thank me for helping you with your newfound Finnick addiction ^_'**

**Review and ENJOY!**

A noise at the door makes me look up. It's the old woman, the victor named Mags. She must be very wise and experienced. She's my mentor this year because she's the only living victor.

"Is that from someone you love?" she asks. Her District 4 accent is strong and she talks in almost a babble, but I can understand her.

"Yes," I say sadly.

"So you'll do anything to get back to her?" she asks.

"Definitely," I reply. I give her a sad smile.

"You're very good looking," Mags says.

"Uhh, thank you?" I don't know how I'm supposed to answer that.

"You will win many sponsors. Now, can you use any weapons? A body like that isn't enough by itself, but I can see you must be a fast runner," she observes.

"Yeah, I'm a fast runner. I mean, I'm constantly running from lovesick girls on the sand. I know how to use a spear and can throw knives," I say.

"Good, good. Now, I deem you worthy of my help. The other girl Dahlia is a waste of time. I doubt she even wants my help. Now you should get some dinner. We haven't started yet, don't worry. Tomorrow we arrive at the Capitol. Better learn to eat this rich food fast," she says, hobbling out the door.

I feel instant relief. With Mags on my side, I'm sure to win!

I change into a light blue silky shirt and dark blue short pants. The necklace is beautiful and I put it on. Good thing I'll remember it's from Annie. She's pretty much the only person who calls me Finn. Of course she's also the only person who calls me by my full name, Finnick Odair. The shell will remind me of her in the "fun" days to come.

I somehow locate the dining car and enter. The smells are almost dizzying. There's a huge dark wood table covered with a dark green tablecloth. The chairs are made if the same wood. The tables are set, complete with silverware, plates, and glasses. I sit down and look at the others. I'm the last to arrive. Dahlia looks like she wants to get dinner over with, Aliya looks ready to eat, and Mags just looks hungry.

"I like your shorts," Dahlia says, brightening when I sit next to her. As if I had a choice. There are only four seats and the last one was next to her. "It shows all your muscles."

"Thanks," I say, not thankful at all.

The meal comes in different courses. First, we have a thick, creamy corn soup. There's bread to dip with it, too. The soup is delicious! Next, there's fried shrimp with a dipping sauce, potatoes, and chicken. Then, some fruits that I've never seen before, like one called apple. It's nice and juicy, with a red color on the outside that I like. Lastly, there's even a cake. It's a vanilla cake, with frosted green waves and even little fish made of something sweet.

I notice that Mags eats rather slow. It's probably hard for her to chew. Dahlia whines that the food will make her fat and spends most of the two hours pushing her food around her plate. Aliya eats rather quick, like me, as if she can't get enough. I think she loves the Capitol food. There's probaby something different every day.

"I had one of the chefs buy shrimp so you wouldn't miss your home so much! Also the cake's green color and fish!" Aliya informs us.

Miss our home? I miss it more than ever. I miss seeing Annie, her dark hair swirling in the ocean. I miss her laugh, when she calls me Finnick Odair, when she calls me Finn. I miss her blush every time I compliment her, the warmness of her lips, the sparkle in her eyes. I miss everything about her. But most of all, I miss her company, the laughs we shared on the beach, the time I taught her to fish and she taught me to weave nets and swim. Suddenly, I'm in danger of crying.

I excuse myself and walk out of the dining car. It takes a bit of stumbling to get back to my room because the corridor is so dark. When I enter my room, I rush to the bed. Overcome with emotion and tragic circumstance, I start to cry. I'm just so mad at the Capitol for these stupid Games, having innocent children murder each other. District 4 loves these Games, almost as much as the Capitol, but unless you're heartless and even volunteer, I'm sure the tributes don't like the Games. Hate them, even. But I must win. I must get home. I'd do anything to get back to Annie.

I let the train's lull and my exhaustion pull me to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! This is a short, sweet chapter, mainly wanting to show Mags helpfulness, the Capitol's artificialness, and Finnick's dedication to Annie, wanting more than anything to get back to her**.

**Shoutout to more please (Guest) for their funny review! I will write more, for you and for everyone!**

**If I wrote a book, not related to THG would you read it? PM, email me. You can also mix it into a review!**

I wake up as the clock turns to seven. I reach up to my necklace, my gift from Annie. I feel instant relief as my hands rub the smooth shell and the words that are carved into it. Today, we'll be going to the Capitol and our prep teams will pretty us up for the opening ceremonies. Our stylists will decide what we wear.

I quickly grab the first shirt I see in the drawer. It's white with light blue stripes. I change into a pair of long, black pants. I look at my hair in the mirror and find it messy. I doubt anyone would comment. It sort of looks like I messed it up on purpose, so I don't try to comb it or anything.

"Good morning!" Dahlia chirps when I walk into the dining car for breakfast.

"Hi," I say.

Aliya and Mags aren't here yet. I sit down and grab a few rolls from the breadbasket at our table. A Capitol man brings me orange juice. The Capitol people are here on the train to serve us. To cook for us. Basically, they get paid to do what we ask.

Mags and Aliya walk in quietly. They sit down and take a few rolls as well. Aliya orders coffee, which my mother and father occasionally drink for special occasions.

"So we'll be going to the Capitol today, as you know," Aliya says. "The stylists and prep team will prepare you for the opening ceremonies. Listen to the advice Mags has on this. I must go and plan something." She gets up and rushes out of the dining car like it's some big emergency.

"So, what advice do you have for us, old lady?" Dahlia scoffs.

"Gosh, Dahlia. For goodness sakes, be a little more polite. Do you even want to win these Games?" I yell, mad at her disrespect.

"Whatever, Finnick," she replies lazily, curling a lock of her hair. "Never mind, I don't need your help. See ya." She storms out of the dining car.

"She won't even survive the bloodbath," I mutter.

"Not without my advice," Mags says. "Finnick, when you get to the Capitol, you'll be in your prep teams hands. They're not normal. They're Capitol people that have always gotten what they wanted. They have a fashion sense that, to them, we in the districts lack. Their fashion sense isn't that great to us, too many bright colors and all other enhancements. Let them do their work. They may not like you and your body as much as everyone else. However, they know what the Capitol likes best, so listen to them and lie there while they work."

"Okay," I say, already starting to practice my obedience.

Mags leaves the dining car and I sit alone. After a while, I walk to the window and look outside. We are just about to enter the mountains that surround the Capitol. We learned in school that these mountains were a disadvantage for the rebel army in the war. They couldn't get to the Capitol because of these mountains, The Capitol's air force easily killed off those who dared.

The outside of the train goes dark as we go through the tunnel that's pretty much the only way into the Capitol if you don't go around the mountains and venture through the perilous woods. I look forward and see the light at the end of the tunnel approaching. It grows bigger an bigger until we're engulfed in brightness. At first, the sun's rays actually blind me. I blink a few times and gaze at the magnificent Capitol.

District Four is considered one of the richer districts, but it is nothing compared to the view I see before me. The buildings are tall, touching the sky. A river flows to the far right, glittering like, well, glitter. The streets are wide, with cars zooming this way and that. The Capitol people all have bright clothes and different colored hair. I spot some with whiskers, orange skin, and even some people with gems on their faces. They stop and wave as they see our train, the District 4 tribute train. I wave back, smiling, winking, being the charming person Annie would hate. However, I'm winning this year's Games. I'll lie, flirt, and even kill my way through. All to get back to Annie Cresta, the dark haired, beautiful girl waiting for me at home.


	7. Chapter 7

**A.N: Hi guys! Excuse my lateness! Finally, a chapter that's almost 2,000 words again! WHOOHOO! In Peeta's Eyes chapter 8 will come before this chapter 8, but keep checking back! Be sure to read the tribute names on the bottom of the chapter, and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

Three pairs of eyes stare down at me. After arriving at the Capitol, Dahlia and I are whisked to the Remake Center to prepare for the opening ceremonies of the Games. The Opening Ceremonies is just a time for tributes to get sponsors. Basically, all of us tributes, district by district, will be in a chariot. We will ride around the Capitol's City Circle. The ride will take us up to the president's mansion, where he will welcome us to the Games and all that. Our stylists will design our outfits which will be key to earnin sponsors.

"What do we do?" asks Nataliya, a woman of my prep team. Her skin is dyed a light blue with white fluffy clouds painted to make her look like the sky.

"Nothing to do," moans Pamela. She has green skin, with flower designs, which gives the impression of a meadow.

"Maybe we could... Or... No! Never mind! We can't do anything! He's just too perfect!" Mira shouts. She's the last member of my prep team. Her green-blue skin matches the color of my eyes. Wave designs are painted over her. She's the ocean of the group.

My prep team is all female and they're triplets. They also happen to be madly in love with me. The situation is currently an emergency. I've been lying down on a silver table for more than two hours, in which my prep team stares at me, trying to figure out how to make me more appealing. They. Are. Stuck.

"Let's call Fuschia, then!" Pamela finally decides.

The three rush off to call Fuschia, my stylist. Chattering excitedly, they exit the room. I stand up and wait until a woman I suppose is Fuschia, enters. Her bubblegum pink is curly and short. Her skin is dyed the color of her name- fuschia. Light pink gems appear to be implanted in her face. Magenta eye shadow is not the only makeup in sight. Her lipstick is a dark pink, almost red. Mascara makes her eyes appear huger. Must I go on?

"Hello, Finnick. I was worried when the trio said they didn't do a thing to you. However, now that I see you in front of me, I know that they chose correctly. Any makeup would have been too obvious. You don't need lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, or anything, obviously. Your hair doesn't need dying or a trim," Fuschia says. She's right, of course. I don't do makeup. My hair is messy, in a good way. It gives a wave of "I-don't-care, I'm-pretty-without-trying" attitude.

"Alright, now down to business," Fuschia continues. "As you know, at the opening ceremonies, each pair of tributes have to represent their district's industry. Four is fishing, of course, as Seven is lumber, and as Ten is livestock, et cetera. So, I have decided that you will be like a king. Your outfit, that is. You'll be the king, born to rule the seas. My partner, Sudmius, thought to have Dahlia portray a mermaid."

"M-m-mermaid?" I say, laughing.

"Yes, the idea sounds rather ridiculous, but it is absolutely gorgeous! Now for you, we're going with hot, sexy, boy that everyone will want," Fuschia replies. "Come, see your outfit!"

Three hours later, I'm standing by horses. The horses will pull the chariots that will parade us. My outfit is basically just pants. They're made of light, sea green material. It matches my eyes. It has a few ruffles, mimicking wave patterns. Fuschia decided to have my chest bare, showing off my great abs (otherwise known as my six-pack). I have bulging muscles that are clear to be noticed with no shirt on. My shoes are sandals, a dark teal. They're pretty much flip-flops. A crown rests on my head. It's gold colored, with the triangular points like the sharp end of a trident, or a spearhead, or arrow. If you think about it, Fuschia's a genius. The outfit is very little, but symbolizes a lot. I'm strong and muscular, healthy, and above all, recognizably Finnick Odair. I am the boy tribute from District Four who can and will overcome anything if I've overcome the might of the sea as its "ruler".

Dahlia looks good enough. Her hair was cut short and got nice side-bangs. She's basically wearing a bikini top that's blue with ruffles. Her skirt flares out at the bottom, just like a mermaid. Her stilettos are alright, the heel a clear four inches, a nice light green.

I grab a handful of sugar cubes meant for the horses and pop one in my mouth. Now is the perfect time to get seductive to the other tributes, make allies. I walk over to District One's chariot. Only the girl tribute is there. Perfect. Time to get a lover that I can deceive later.

The girl is pretty enough, with long, caramel hair and blue eyes. She has a good build. Pretty, but deceptively strong. She has a nice blush on. Silver flakes appear to be in her eyelashes. I wonder how they don't get into her eyes. Her silver dress is a one-shoulder. The dress is a little short, almost but not quite reaching her knees. Her silver heels are three inches tall and very flashy. District One makes luxury items for the Capitol. They're bound to be the one with the jewels and things.

"Hi there, District One. My name's Finnick. You look pretty hot. The silver goes great with your blue eyes!" I exclaim, warming up my flirty attitude.

"H-h-hi, Finnick. I like yo-your everything! Your muscles look so hard and oh, I'm uhh, Blush!" she squeaks. Her face begins to flush with color. I'm doing great!

"Mmmm, your lips look so... glossy. I think I could kiss them all day," I say flirtatiously and lean forward, grab her face, and kiss her with passion. Of course that passion is all an act.

I pull away and she's blushing a deeper color than her blush. "You're blushing, Blush," I say with a laugh. She scurries away to whisper to the girl from Two.

"Hey! You! Four! Get away from her!" a voice suddenly shouts. A boy comes up from behind me. He has dark brown hair and matching eyes. He's good-looking, I'll give him that. His muscles can't even compare to mine though, as well as his eye color, hair, and beauty.

"Hi, I'm Finnick!" I say, smiling, even though I doubt he'd want to be my friend after I just kissed his girlfriend, crush, whatever.

"Cadmium," he says, stiffly. He sees my muscles and can see I radiate power, I suppose. "Why were you kissing Blush, huh? She's mine, alright? I just didn't get to ask her to go out. In our situation, I can't bear to. But still. She's mine."

"Just making allies," I say, winking. "Look, I'm not trying to get her to like me. I just figure this would be an easier way to convince her to be my ally. You going to be my ally? You know the richer districts stick together, right? Anyways, I'll convince Blush to fall for you!"

"Yeah, okay, allies we are, I guess. However, you have to swear that you'll give us full immunity. You won't kill Blush or me even if it comes to it," Cadmium says seriously.

"No problem," I say, crossing my fingers behind me. "I'm going to go talk to the District Two guy. He seems like a pretty good person to team up with. I'll tell him you and Blush will be joining us."

I walk over to the District Two chariot. "Hi there, I'm Finnick!" I call up to the male from Two. He's already in the chariot.

"Taksony," he tells me. Leaping off the chariot, he walks over to me. "Saw you with One. You teaming up? I want in."

Well, that was easier than I thought. "Sure. I actually came over to ask you that. Your district partner too?" I reply.

"Regalia? Yeah, she's great with spears. I used to train with her," Taksony says.

"Off to flirt with other tributes so they'll love me, then I can kill them easily in the end. You coming?" I say.

"Sure," Taksony decides, following me to the District Five chariot.

The girl next to the chariot introduces herself as Sienna. She tells me she likes my abs, then smiles an extremely white smile.

"Thanks," I say. "I like your smile. It's sparkling and warms my heart. Your eyes too. I love the color hazel! It's just so hard to look away from your face! "

She just about melts on the spot. Taksony and I split up to go back to our chariots. The Ceremony is starting. I look at the other chariots and wave at Blush and Cadmium. Waving at me is the last thing they do before disappearing into the street for the Capitol to see. Regalia and Taksony go second, then Three. Suddenly, we're rolling.

The Capitol audience is... bright. That's one word to describe it. One lady I see has teal green feathers permanantly attached to her fingers. Another has aqua colored gems covering half her face. An orange dyed man has yellow hair.

The air seems alive with shouts. None of the Capitol audience members are staring at the other chariots. They're all staring at me, my magnificence.

A hundred girls yell, "I LOVE YOU, FINNICK!" at the top of their lungs.

I blow a kiss flirtatiously back at them. Half the audience looks like they're about to faint. Everyone's chanting, "FINNICK! FINNICK! FINNICK!" over and over.

"Your hair's soooooo amazing! I just want to touch it!" yells a girl in a pink ruffle dress.

I wink at thousands of people, flash my trademark blinding smile, and wave my arm off. Somebody throws me a plastic trident. I grab hold of it and raise it high. The audience roars. I pretend to stab Dahlia, who practically falls over in fake injury. Everyone's laughing, cheering, shouting my name.

I command all the attention. None of the other tributes matter. This world is mine. I rule it! Except I don't really rule it. Our chariot stops in front if President Snow's mansion. He starts some speech to welcome us to the Games. His eyes narrow when they gaze at mine. I hold the stare until he looks away. Panem's anthem plays and soon, the chariots are rolling away from the mansion. Everyone still seems to be shouting my name and doing a sort of clapping, stomping song even as we go behind a curtain. I jump out of the chariot and accept the "I loved you!" comments from my prep team, Aliya, and others. Every tribute seems to be glaring at me, knowing I just put them all to shame. Even the four in alliance with me, Blush, Cadmium, Taksony, and Regalia, are glaring at me with hatred, because I got what no stylist could ever predict: my beauty, my ability to control the crowd, to earn sponsors. No painful alterations had to be done or anything. However, remembering the iron cold stare of President Snow, the glares of every tribute, even my allies, I know my beauty is not only a gift, but a curse too.

Only one person doesn't care much for beauty and will still love me unconditionally, one person in the whole country of Panem. It's the one person that I cling on to, the person that gives me hope of being a victor and going back to her. I know she will always be watching. The person who is worried about me being a monster. The one who will remind me that I'm not, that I'm better than the Capitol wants me to be, at the most desperate times. I need to get back home to the one who truly loves me. And that person is Annie Cresta, the only girl I will ever love back.

**AN: Here are the names of the tributes to keep you busy! (APPARENTLY WE CAN't MAKE LISTS OR I'D MAKE THIS A FULL ENTRY!) I like Blush the best. Which one do YOU like the best? Review the names! Taksony is a badddd name but it means: well fed, content, merciless, and wild, so it fits a Career very well. Especially the head Career.**

**Another shoutout to more please who reviewed again! We can't be best friends if I barely know you, but I shall fulfill your wishes and keep writing :)**

**Here are the NAMES ONLY by female district one, male district one, female district two, male district two, ETC. I'll do strengths and weaknesses later...**

**Blush, Cadmium, Regalia, Taksony, Cerise, Austrinus, Dahlia, Finnick, Sienna, Doyle, Alesandesse, Eton, Alula, Avior, Cassiopeia, Haldus, Camellia, Columbine, Fawn, Aspen, Thistle, Ludwig, Isabelline, Carmine**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hello all! As usual, I bring good news! Or maybe not "as usual"... Anyways, I have not one, but TWO chapters for you! One on this fanfic and one on my other one. If you haven't read my other fanfic yet, I suggest you do!**

**I was in CT for the weekend. I apologize, again, for taking sooooo long with the chapter! Don't forget, when school starts for me, September 4th, that I'll only probably be able to post one chapter of one of my fanfics a week. :( I'll try my best because of all you fans out there, though!**

**Thank you, all that reviewed, followed, or favorited this fanfic and my other one! I appreciate it, I really do!**

**OMG Bruno Gunn (who will play Brutus in Catching Fire) keeps replying/favoriting my tweets! Eep! Does anyone know the author Rebecca Hamilton? If you do, PM me and tell me about her/her books.**

**Enough of that! Here's the new chapter that you've all been waiting for!**

Aliya leads us to the Training Center, where we will stay until it's time for the arena. The bottom floor which is underground is a huge gymnasium where we'll be training for three days. On the third day, we'll be showing the Gamemakers (the name tells all), in a private session, all we have learned in training. They'll give us a number, one through twelve, to rate us on how good our performance is and how much promise we show. The score is the final way to earn sponsors before the Games. Higher scores get more sponsors.

We zoom up the elevator. We have a few elevators in our district. The richest in the district have them and the Justice Building has a big, metal one. We arrive at the fourth floor, where our team will be staying. Each pair of tributes and their team get one whole floor. They correspond with the tributes' district number.

The crystal doors of the elevator open, presenting us to an amazing room. It's the main part of the floor. The chandlier that first greets us is made of green glass, with light bits of green, throwing off colors to the walls and floors. The floor is tiled black and white alternating squares, the walls are light blue.

Aliya leads us to a living room. The couches are a pearly white and look extraordinarily soft and fluffy. There's a coffee table that's dark brown. The lights on the ceiling are a modern looking style, bright and round. There are peach colored seashells hanging from the ceiling, reminding me of home.

"This is the sitting room, where we'll be watching television to see news, what commentators have to say about this year's Games, and all that. Maybe we can get an advantage. Feel free to get comfortable on these soft couches, alright?" Aliya says, playing the tour guide. Dahlia and I nod, eager to see the next room, after seeing how beautiful this one is.

"This is the dining room," Aliya says, leading us to a dark purple walled room. The tabletop is glass, while the legs are silver. The chairs are a matching, shiny silver. The chandelier is all crystal. The room is fairly simple, but magnificent.

"Now, I'll show you to your rooms! I'll call you down for dinner in forty-five minutes!" Aliya says. We follow her out of the dining room to the main part of our floor. She leads us to a hallway. The floor is carpeted in this hallway, giving it a sense of importance.

"Here's your room," Aliya tells me. She opens a door on the first right. I hear Aliya, Dahlia, and Mags, who's been extremely quiet this whole tour, continuing down the hallway to find their rooms.

I step into my room, taking in the beauty. You can tell the room is going for a green and white theme. The walls are a pretty green, matching my sea green eyes. The floor is white, but there's a long, green rug leading to the bed. The bed has dark green sheets and white pillows. There are lights hanging over the bed that are a light green color like grass. The side table is white, with green flecks. There are several strange sculptures along the walls made of a light silver metal. The huge window shows a stunning view of the city of the Capitol.

My room has its own bathroom and dressing quarters, as well as the sleeping area. The bathroom includes a shower with so many buttons and it's hard to tell what controls what. I undress and take a shower. The warm water runs down my face and body, relaxing me. I locate shampoo and wash my hair. The body wash is nice, leaving a vanilla scent. I discover that when I step onto the mat placed next to the shower stall, heaters blow-dry my body until I'm completely dry. Back home, when we get wet, we usually wait for the sun to naturally dry our skin, or we use towels. I see a box and wonder what it is. A pleasant, female voice tells me, "Put your hand on the box to dry hair."

I place my hand on the box and my scalp tingles. Then, I glance at the mirror and see that my hair has been dried and untangled, leaving my hair nice and smooth. I ruffle my hair, creating a messy hairstyle that girls just seem to love so much. Even Annie. She doesn't care how I look though, she knows the real Finnick inside.

I head to the dressing area, selecting a shirt at random. Wanting to look presentable, I even add a light blue tie to my white shirt. I grab light blue shorts and pull them on. They show off my legs. Perfect.

I head down to dinner, where Dahlia, Aliya, Fuschia, Mags, and a person who must be Dahlia's stylist, are seated at the dining table. I sit down at the last empty seat, annoyingly next to Dahlia.

"Hi, Finn!" Dahlia says, moving her chair a little too close for comfort.

"Don't call me that," I snap. That's Annie's nickname for me. She also calls me by my full name, the only one to not call me Finnick all the time. I feel a wave of longing for Annie. I wish she were here instead of Dahlia. Wait, that's not what I want. Not where we're going. I don't want her to die like twenty-three tributes.

"Fine... Finny then?" she asks innocently.

"No! Not Finn or Finny!" I shout. What's with her and pet names?!

"Fine, Finnick," she says, rolling her eyes.

"Thank you!" I say tiredly.

We are served by quiet, young men and women. The first part of our meal is, of course, soup. It's creamy, with broccoli and carrots. It's a little cheesy and it's nice and hot. I dip some bread into it and take a bite. Delicious. There's a huge piece of steak on a plate presented to everyone. I devour my piece hungrily, cutting each piece quickly and precisely. The sauce on it tastes sweet. Rice is served on the side, which I shovel in quite fast too. Cold cheese is served with fruits. I eat a banana, which we have at home. They grow on tall trees near the beach, like the coconuts that I every so often crack open to drink the water inside.

An ice cream cake iced with green is a sweet dessert. We have ice cream at home, but they're on sticks. I like the sea salt ones the best, blue and freezing cold. I used to eat them with Annie as we ran in the sand, feeling the water run over my feet. I feel homesick again, after seeing this cake, just like the shrimp an cake on the train.

Aliya suddenly says, "Okay, so strategies!" This dinner is mostly for planning for the next three days of training. "What are you good at, Dahlia?"

"Oh, not much, really," Dahlia says. "Uhhhh... I could probably throw a knife."

She takes a knife from the table and throws it into the wall, where it sticks. She's not great, but it's that or nothing.

"How about you, Finnick?" Mags asks, just as Aliya is opening her mouth to ask me.

"I can throw knives and spears. I'm not great, though," I say modestly. I pick up a knife and grab a peach from the fruit tray that was with the cold cheese. Throwing it up in the air, I let my knife fly. The knife pierces the peach and they both hit the wall with a thud. "I can run fast. I can swim," I say. I hesitate, wondering if I should tell Mags that I'm deadly with a trident. I also refrain from revealing how well I can tie knots. It's something precious, associated with Annie.

Mags doesn't seem to pick up my hesitation and nods. saying, "Alright, Dahlia, Finnick. Dahlia, you shall train your knife throwing... skills." She says the last word hesitantly. "You should also learn some survival skills. Finnick, just do what you want. Practice with some spears. Throw knives. Set traps and snares. Right now, you should go to bed. You have big days ahead of you. We'll discuss more at breakfast."

Dahlia and I head back to our rooms. After a while, I doze off. Dreams of Annie in the Games haunt my mind. A giant bear chases her. She climbs up a tree. It hacks down the tree, its claws scratching her face, her blood everywhere. I wake up, panicked, heart racing, sweating, shouting "SOMEBODY HELP HER!"

Someone knocks on my door and I yell, "Come in!"

Mags enters and asks if there was any information I was holding back at dinner. She could see my hesitation, that I held something back.

I sit up in my bed and blurt out, "M-my best weapon is actually a trident!"

She's not surprised. "Okay," she says. "I'll be sure to pass that on to the Gamemakers. They'll surely put it in the public training session. I want you to go to the trident and pretend you can't handle it in front of the other tributes. The Gamemakers will probably put it in the private session, where you can show off your skill."

"Also," I start. " I'm great at tying knots and can weave nets."

"Good, good," Mags replies with a smile. ""There's no problem with the knot tying station in training. Go ahead and show what you know. Just steer clear of showing that you know how to use a trident."

She leaves my room, closing the door softly behind her. I lie back down, lost in my thoughts. I'm not scared of the training over the next days, if not eager. I make a mental note to watch what Blush, Cadmium, Taksony, and Regalia, the other Careers, can do. But they won't be who everyone's out to kill. Instead, everyone, including the four Careers, will be out to kill the one who has pulled the most sponsors, the strongest, the most beautiful, the best fighter. Beauty, strength, everything is a gift, but a curse. Everyone will be targeting the biggest threat. Me.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Again, please review/favorite/follow this chapter/story/author! Lastly, if I wrote a book would you read it? Please PM me or put your answer in the reviews for this chapter for me!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A.N.: OMG GUYS! I WON A SIGNED POSTER FROM ERIC HENNIG! He plays a Gamemaker in The Hunger Games if ya didn't know. I know, he plays a small role, but it's not the size of a role that matters :) He inspires me and always answers my tweets :) I WILL be posting more often because I started ESP (English Scholars Program, aka write what ya want. I will also be writing poems. If you want to hear them, I'll post them on and give ya the names, cuz they're hunger games poems :D Hope you guys also had a nice few days without this fanfic to survive... So enjoy! **

**This is an extremely short chapter- sorry... It doesn't have much content, but is a rather romance filler for Finnick thinking of Annie. Also, I didn't have a lot of time :( The next chapter will be longer. I hope I have more time..**

When I wake up, I immediately take a shower. I strip off my clothes and step in the shower. Careful to press the right buttons, I get a warm spray going, with a refreshing aqua soap. I step out of the shower stall after a good twenty minutes and grab a towel. I don't want to use the Capitol's artificial body drying system or even hair-drying. I dry myself up with my towel an head to my bedroom to look for an outfit to wear.

I am surprised when I see a dark brown shirt and black pants waiting for me on my bed. Aliya must have come in and picked them out while I was showering. I pull them on and sit on my bed, feeling the material. They're both articles of clothing for exercise. Probably good for sweat because they're light and soft. I am about to walk to the door when I remember that I need shoes. I start to head toward the closet labeled "SHOES" to pick out a pair of shoes. I start wondering how many shoes could possibly be in that closet. What am I supposed to pick? These thoughts run through my mind as I take two steps. I only manage another step before I trip and fall flat on my face.

I'm such an idiot, I can't believe Annie could like someone as clumsy as me. I tripped over a pair of shoes. Aliya must have placed them on the floor in plain sight, but I was too busy wondering what the closet would be like to look at the floor. I sit up on the floor and just start to laugh at the absurdness of the fall. I manage to stop laughing and take a good look at my shoes. They're sneakers, probably best for running. I wonder what I would need running shoes for. Are they going to let loose a giant bear in the gymnasium and make us run away from it and try to kill it?

I pull on the sneakers and head downstairs for breakfast. Only Mags sits at the table, sitting alone.

"Good morning, Mags," I say politely.

"Good morning to you as well, Finnick," she replies. "I trust you like the clothing I picked for you? You will need to be completely ready for training, so I thought of clothes that you would use for excessive exercise. I want you to try everything and try your best at them all."

"Alright," I say. I don't mention that I thought Aliya chose the clothes for me. I fill my plate with little fishcakes and a glass of water for breakfast.

Aliya enters, a little irratated. "Dahlia's coming down in a few minutes. It took me a long tome to convince her she needed to talk to you about last minute training strategies," she informs Mags.

Dahlia does come down, but not "in a few minutes", like Aliya claimed. She's dressed in a light orange shirt and white pants. It's made of heavier material than mine, and I have a feeling that Aliya didn't choose the outfit.

Dahlia doesn't talk during the whole breakfast and neither Mags or I try to start a conversation. Aliya is kind of stunned silent, surprised at our lack of communication. She mumbles something about planning schedules and excuses herself when she realizes no one's going to start talking. She tells Dahlia and I to meet her at the elevators at ten.

Dahlia finishes her breakfast and leaves the table without another word. I stay, hoping to ask Mags more about training.

"So you want me to go up to the trident they will have, pick it up, and throw it, completely missing the target?" I ask.

"Yes. I know Dahlia cannot throw a trident and no other tribute can, I'm sure. Even Taksony, the strong one from Two, although he can try all he wants. He does have a weakness, which you'll find out later on. It is almost ten. You should go to your room and get ready. Then meet Aliya at the elevators at ten." Mags says. She gets up and hobbles off to what I suppose is her room.

I walk back into my room and sit on my bed. I take off my mecklace and notice something about the shell I hadn't noticed before. I had thought it was the same shell I had given Annie before the reaping. It is the same shell, but it's shaped differently. A heart. The shell is in the shape of a heart. My fingers trace the words carved into the shell.

"Finn, the boy I love is not a monster," I whisper to myself. A single, salty tear runs down my cheek. I glance at the clock and see that it's 9:58. I hastily wipe the tear off my cheek and head downstairs.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys! I really apologize for the wait :( In Peeta's Eyes Chapter 10 will follow sometime next week. Peeta's going to the arena soonnnn! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I did it in school, when we didn't do much in class. So, really, I spent 2 days writing 6 pages. I hope you enjoy! DON'T FORGET TO READ "Flower", MY NEW POEM! AND IF YOU REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW, Finnick gives you a kiss or gives you his trident! If you don't, Cadmium accuses you of flirting with Blush and swings a mace at you ;) You don't actually have to review, but those who do get a shoutout. THIS IS FOR BUNNYLUV FOR BRIBING ME WITH A COOKIE TO WRITE FASTER! (everyone, you should thank her... and me, 'cause I actually wrote it) SHOUTOUT TO jng1 TOO BECAUSE I TOLD YOU I WAS GOING TO POST YESTERDAY (you'll find why i didn't at the botto )**

**ENOUGH OF MY RANTING, THOUGH, AND ENJOY!**

10:00. Time to head down to the Training Center gymnasium. I let the necklace settle into the front of my shirt. I walk down to the elevator where Dahlia and Aliya are waiting.

"Sorry," I apologize. "I was, um, thinking of home."

Aliya's stern face softens a little, then she ushers us into the elevator. The elevator stops on the first floor, opening to a silver themed, luxurious floor. First floor. District One. The chandeliers are crystal clear, maybe diamonds? Blush enters the elevator. When she notices me, which is pretty immediate, she gasps a little, breathing a little faster. Looking away from me, she comes to stand next to me, a bright, little blush creeping on her cheeks.

"H-h-hi Finnick," she stammers

Dahlia's glaring at her. Then, Cadmium enters and he stands next to Blush, tall and powerful.

"Hi Blush, hi Cadmium," I say, politely.

Cadmium glares at me again and I say daringly, "What?" I'm only taunting him.

"Nothing," he growls and looks away.

The elevator door closes and we're shooting down to the basement, where the gymnasium is. When the doors open, we can't help but gasp. It's huge, a vast room with different stations with many different stations and raised stands for the Gamemakers to watch us. They have an endless feast on he side for them. Weapons, weapons, and weapons intermingling with plants and other survival stations. This is all I see for the tributes.

The only tributes who are here are Taksony and Regalia, from One. A man pins a little piece of cloth to my shirt with the number 4 on it. I glance at Cadmium as I see him moving. He's gravitating toward the maces, when a trainer, the tall, head trainer that tells us her name is Atala, tells him to stop moving toward it. She starts to explain the station even though only us Careers are here. There are many weapons to use, but equallyas many survival stations. We may be anxious to get the weapons, but the survival skills are just as important.

When she releases us, I realize the other tributes have arrived. I look to my right, where my fellow Careers stood previously. Now, Taksony is admiring a few knives. Cadmium is teaching Blush how to swing a mace. Already, all the Careers know where to go. Except for me.

My eyes sweep the room. My gaze immediately falls onto a particular weapon, smack in the middle of the gymnasium. The trident is gold and gleaming. Slowly, I move toward it, wanting to have a piece of home to hold on to, to caress this piece of beauty. What I use to fish. What is my weapon, MY trident. My extension of the arm. Working as one.

Then, Mags voice comes into my head. She told me to pretend I can't use a trident. I had forgotten until now. I stop and look at where I am. I am about halfway to the trident. The knots station is right next to the trident, so to cover up, I stride over there confidently, as if it was my destination all along. I politely introduce myself to the trainer, who introduces herself as Marissa. Her brown hair is tied neatly into a bun. She performs a simple know that she probably supposed is complicated for me, but is probably the simplest knot I know. I chuckle and tie the knot a lot faster than she does. Her jaw drops and she looks at me with wide eyes. For the next half hour, she tries to stump me with complicated knots, but I tie them all way faster than her. It becomes a game, and she eventually loses. I finally tie a knot and fashion a noose. I pretend to hang myself and she laughs. We spend the next half hour weaving a net that I use to bring down a couple of dummies close by. I bid Marissa goodbye and she tells me she enjoyed the review with me, never truly having been stumped before. I chuck a few spears and swing a mace, afterwards, but my mind is still on the trident that should be in my hands.

Suddenly, I hear a commotion and glance toward the sound. Regalia and Blush are pushing Dahlia playfully, but carefully, towards the trident, or should I say, MY trident. Cadmium and Taksony appear to be convincing her by talking in a persuasive way. She's shaking her head no because, of course, she doesn't know how to throw it. Then, Cadmium picks it up and brings it to her, holding it in the classic incorrect fashion. He tosses it to Taksony, who catches it, but also holds it wrong. He jokingly stabs Regalia and tosses my- the trident to her. She throws it to Dahlia and points at a target that's ordinarily used for archery, with her free hand. Pushed by peer pressure, Dahlia holds it unsteadily and raises her arm. I think immediately that she will miss, or just pierce the very side. She throws m- the trident and it sails through the air, not a perfect throw, but enough to get it to stick at the very side of the target. Then, they're laughing at her, the other Careers. Suddenly I'm mad. It's not because Dahlia disgraced our district or anything, but the Careers are underestimating her. I stomp over to the knife station, which is across the gym, and select six knives. I fling them at the target where the trident is, but perfectly hit the bullseye, fifteen yards away. All eyes are on me now, as eighteen tributes gape at me and silence fills the whole gymnasium, but Dahlia, Taksony, and a few others who are knife experts look unimpressed.

I smile at Dahlia before saying innocently, "Dahlia can throw farther." Now, I truly come to realize the whole gymnasium's silence, even the previously whispering Gamemakers. I watch tributes' and Gamemakers' heads alike, swivel toward Dahlia, who blushes in the spotlight.

I raise my eyebrows at her and mouth, "Well, throw them!"

She grabs the knives and walks past me, around twenty yards away from the target. She releases the first knife and it whistles through the air. Perfect bullseye. Turning fast, she launches knife after knife at the target. The target holds six knives in a small portion: the circle indicating a perfect shot, deathblows. She smiles and gives a slight bow. Then, she stalks over to the fire-making station like it's no big deal.

Cadmium seems to recover first and calls me over. I walk over as he pulls m- the trident from the target. The other tributes go back to their own business, except for the Careers.

"Can you do better than her with this?" he asks.

"Uh, maybe. We use it to spear fish, but I've never used a trident," I fib.

I pick up the trident totally wrong and toss it way over the target. The Careers snicker, clearly unimpressed. I fake a scarlet blush and look up at Dahlia, who's eyes are unblinkingly staring back. She's stalked me home and seen me spear fish before. She gives me a quizzical look and I just shrug and wink at her. She blushes and goes back to whatever she was lighting a fire with. My throw was a perfect backup to my lie. Honestly, the trident felt exactly like the one I use at home. This trident, it is my weapon. It can turn me into a killing machine. To cover up my fake embarrassment, I choose some spears and walk across the gymnasium, around the same distance Dahlia threw her knives. I target a couple of dummies and release the spears one at a time.

_Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! _The spears unforgivably pierces the dummies' hearts, right on target. The Careers now look at me with new eyes, impressed. Blush and Regalia are whispering and giggling, glancing at me, with smiles that show they want me.

Lunch is announced soon. For breakfast and dinner, we eat on our own floors to plan our strategies, while lunch is socializing hour with the other tributes. We enter a massive dining room with many small tables filling it. Taksony and Blush drag two tables together and call me over. Regalia, Taksony, Cadmium, and Dahlia are sitting at the table with me. The food's on little carts and we take what we want. I take a quick look at who the other tributes are sitting with, trying to recall their strengths and weaknesses shown in training. Little Thistle from District 11 is with Alula from District 7. No doubt they will be allies. The two smallest tributes. They show promise, though. Thistle was at the edible plants station before and Alula was throwing axes. The boy tribute from 11, Ludwig, is an amazing fighter. He hasn't teamed up with us, so I suppose he's going solo. I noticed him briefly in training before, swinging maces and slashing dummies like they're paper, with swords. I can't help comparing the other tributes with myself as I glance around at the other tributes in the room. I'm an amazing fighter and can tie knots. I suppose I could work on survival skills all day tomorrow so I can learn to feed myself. I'm a better fighter than Cadmium and Regalia, though I'm not sure about Ludwig and Taksony. Regalia and Blush, not to mention one or two non-Careers, have already fallen in love with me. _So, what is my weakness?_ I find that I'm wondering this.

After lunch, we head back into the gymnasium. I join Cerise (District 3) at the edible plants station, where she struggles. I find that I'm not bad at identifying the plants that I can eat, but I'm still dependent on a book of pictures and descriptions of each plant. The trainer tells me if I'm not 100% sure that the plant is edible, I shouldn't risk it. Cerise and I clearly have no interest in each other, although I hep her a little. Afterwards, I walk over to throw some more spears and flirt with Regalia. She's great, but I'm better. Maybe my presence just makes her nervous because she misses the target ten feet away on her third throw and curses. I throw mine and it's right on target. She tells me that I'm so amazing. I meet Austrinous from 3, Sienna and Doyle from 5, and Eton from 6 at the trapping station. I learn a few basic snares and accidentally set a trap that leaves Austrinous hanging upside down, hanging by one foot on a tree, as the other tributes at the station laugh at him.

Avior from 7 teaches me to throw axes, but I give up after a while. Camellia, who has a cast on her arm, and Columbine from Nine ask to use the station, so we separate. I spend the rest of my two training days throwing knives with Dahlia and meeting other tributes to get the feel of their strengths and weaknesses. Alesandesse from 6 is not bad with knives, Cassiopeia from 8 can feed herself, but fails in hand to hand combat. Haldus from 8 has skills with a mace, but has bad reflexes, leading to an accidental injury by a trainer. Fawn can hunt, but probably hesitate to kill. Aspen, a strong looking boy from 10 ties knots slower than me, but instead of making nets, he uses a long piece of rope and creates a lasso, which I'm sure he can use to choke tributes. Little Thistle can shoot arrows, but not while she runs. Isabelline faints when her district partner, Carmine, accidentally cuts himself with a knife. Carmine can sure use a sword, though.

I train hard both days, soaked in sweat by the end of training each day, despite the light shirts I wear. Mags and Aliya feed us tips at breakfast and dinner, also asking what information we pick up. The only time I really have to rest is the night of the second day of training. As I lie in bed, I think about what I will show the Gamemakers. I'll start simple, with knives and spears. As I plan the next day's session, I finger my shell, my gift from Annie.

"Oh, Annie! If only you could see me now! I'm trying so hard to win. I'm getting really good at training. I'm going to win. For me, for you, for us," I whisper in the dark, wishing I could have one second to see Annie. But since I can't, this'll have to suffice. Desperate people do desperate things. I undo the clasp and kiss the shell and imagine I'm kissing her face. An overwhelming feeling of sadness washes over me. "Goodnight, Annie. Please don't give up on me- on us. Don't break down and cry because I'm coming home."

**Guess what guys? Longest chapter ever! Sorry it took me so long 3 You know I love you! I was going to post this yesterday, but my Internet connection was down :( I'll keep working hard for all of you ^^**


	11. Chapter 11

The mutts are after me. Big in size, snorting like pigs, but in the shape of sharks. I'm in a sea of green, swimming so naturally, but soon they catch up. With triumphant snorting noises they bite my arms and legs off and leave me there to drown. I wake up with a full-throated cry. I find myself on the floor, all tangled up in my blanket.

Sighing, I slowly get the blanket untangled and stand up. I walk directly to the bathroom for a warm shower, not even bothering to take off my shorts that I slept in. The warm water runs down my chest, soaks my shorts, and is a light sprinkle on my feet. It's so relaxing that I want to stay in there forever, but I know that I will have to leave sometime to go show the Gamemakers what I can do.

Eventually, forced by reality, I step out of the shower and grab a towel, drying myself in a more natural way again. I don't even bother to dry or comb my hair and just leave it wet and cool. I stare into the full-length mirror at my body. Tall with golden skin, silky bronze hair, steadily built with tons of muscle, a great set of abs, and best of all- my legendary sea green eyes that makes every girl melt. Though, why do I feel so insecure? So today is the private session... What do I have to offer?

I head down to breakfast and see Mags and Aliya sitting down. Aliya's drinking coffee tiredly, and Mags is just sipping soup slowly. Their faces light up as they see me. I pull up one of the silver chairs and wait for their judgement on the private session today.

"So," Aliya begins, "As you know, today is the private session. Today, you obviously have to show what you have to iffer. Now Mags and I have been talking and we are going to focus on just you. Not completely shutting out Dahlia, but you will recieve our full help. Before lunch, just practice the survival skills because this is the only chance you'll have before the arena. Anything to add, Mags?" She asks politely.

"Throw your trident in the private session. Again, not in the training gymnasium for everyone to see. I have made sure the Gamemakers will put the weapon in the private session. You'll do fine," says Mags, in her thick, District Four accent that probably only a few people can understand. My mom has the accent, so I learned from experience. This accent though, is nowhere as strange as the Capitol accent, clipped words, hissing on the letter S.

Dahlia comes down and takes her seat at the dining table. She runs her fingers througg her hair and asks what she missed. I get up to leave and tell Aliya I'll be at te elevator by 9:55 since I was late the first training day.

I walk into the sitting room and turn on the TV to entertain myself for a while. They're replaying this years' reapings, opening ceremonies, and just the general likelihood of who gets the most sponsors. I am hinted at having the most, with Blush and Cadmium close behind. Cadmium's probably throwing a fit over this right now.

Then, their showing an old Hunger Games, the 51st. Talking about the Quarter Quell which is every twenty-five years, the commentators say the fiftieth was their all time favorite. All the while, though, I'm wondering, why are they showing the fifty-first when they're talking about the fiftieth? The commentators say the Gamemakers have showed them bits and pieces of this arena and they think it's brilliant, though they can't reveal anything.

I shut the TV off at 9:50 and walk to the elevators. Aliya and Dahlia arrive soon after and we head down. The elevator, like the day of Training Day 1, stops at the first floor to pick up Blush an Cadmium. When the doors open, I search for the beautiful crystal chandeliers I saw once before, and all I see is a huge mess. A cracked glass lamp is right in front of us, a rug torn apart under the lamp. An upturned couch dominates the room. Looks like Cadmium had his rampgage after all. Cadmium steps out from behind an upturned couch and waves at us cheerfully. Blush appears from a hallway and lets off a shriek when she sees the mess. Cadmium seems to be holding a bat or something similar. He sets it down and calmly walks into the elevator. Blush follows, eyes widening, as she follows him.

Silence follows as the doors open to the gymnasium. Some tributes, it seems, are already starting to work their butts off for the last day. Almost all the tributes are here. I walk over to the knots station like I own the place, but not before looking at my- the trident, longingly. I'm surprised to see a stern looking, athletic man.

"Where's Marissa?" I ask, having grown fond of the knot tying trainer.

"Not here," says the man. "I'm Frank. Show me the knots you know."

I grab a long length of rope and start off with the simplest until the hardest. The trainer keeps a straight face the whole time.

"Good work," he compliments. "District Four?"

I nod. "I've been weaving nets since forever."

"Why don't we make a net together?" he suggests.

"What about something more challenging, like a hut or small shelter?" I ask.

He agrees and we start to weave the hut with a few vines. A few minutes after, someone- no, a group of people, appear behind me. I don't turn around or talk, waiting until they make a move.

A girl gives a little cough. It's Thistle from District Eleven. She approachs me cautiously, and Sienna (5), Alessandesse (6), Alula (7), Fawn (10), and Isabelline (12) follow her. It's half the girl tributes. I'm surprised because it was originally just Thistle and Alula sitting together at lunch the other day. They're not too weak, but coming from the outlying districts, they're bound to stay together. Not like the thin trust we Careers have.

"Hello, Finnick," Thistle says. "What are you making?"

"A little hut," I respond, not taking my eyes off the vines.

"May we join you?" asks Alessandesse.

I look up for the first time, my eyes skimming the small crowd. Then, I take a quick glance at the other tributes. Taksony is helping Regalia improve her aim with knives, Blush and Dahlia are over at the hand to hand combat, glaring at the crowd and smiling when I catch their eyes. Cadmium is swinging a mace and impaling the spiked balls into a dummy's chest. I decide to stay put, as there are no Careers who will badger me at helping these girls.

"Sure," I say, smiling.

The girls sit down next to me and Fawn grabs some vines and starts to weave a basket. She accomplishes this in less than five minutes with a few complicated knots. The other girls give small claps and praise her. Right, District 10 is livestock. I'll bet that Fawn has to tie thick ropes and lasso some animals. I continue on the hut as Fawn teaches the others basic knots.

Frank, the trainer, and I finish two walls and a roof. Fawn starts to help us weave another wall. The other girls join in, eager to show off their knot-tying skills. I finish the whole last wall in the time it takes all the girls and the trainer to make the wall with the doorway. The trainer and I put the walls together and weave some extra vines to make sure the walls stay together. We gaze at this hut in happiness.

"You should go in first," Sienna says softly. The other girls and Frank chime in agreeably. I shrug and head in. It's magical, really, looking up at the fluorescent lights filter in patterns that reminds me of when I look up in the ocean at the sky and watch the sun's rays strike the water.

I call the other girls in and they sit inside with me. They gasp and spin around a little. The hut's big enough to have us all standing, except I have to bend down a little, as the hut is a little bit short for my height. I sit nearest to the doorway to let the girls enjoy the inside. A shadow looms over my sitting figure. I turn around and look up at the tribute. Except it's not a tribute. It's a Gamemaker. She calls some of the other Gamemakers over and they look inside in awe, as the girls sit down in quiet respect. The Head Gamemaker, Reyna Optimus, asks me how much of the hut I built.

"The roof and three walls, two with the trainer," I say simply, walking out of the hut.

She looks a little surprised, but nods. She notions the other Gamemakers to walk away with her. They walk over to Taksony and Regalia and start talking to them.

The girls congratulate me and walk away in their little group. I sit back in the little hut and lie down. There's even enough space to spread my arms and legs out. Someone is around the backside of the hut and I dismiss it as a tribute admiring our work, when something strucks the hut. Hard.

I scuttle out the hut, but it collapses on my legs. Luckily, the vines aren't very thick. I look up at the tribute who attacked the hut. It's Ludwig from Eleven? He has a sword in hand, no doubt what he used to break down my hut.

I stare up at him threateningly, searching for an answer. Taksony and Cadmium appear behind me, lifting me up from the mess. I stumble, but regain my balance. The whole gym is silent and all you can hear is the three of us Careers breathing hard.

"What's your problem?!" I shout. "What did I do to hurt you? Did I stab you? No! Did I throw a knife at your district partner? Didn't do that either! She actually asked to work with me! And what did I do? What did I say to those girls?! I said sure, because I'm not judgemental! Do you think I care about being a Career? I have never set foot once in that academy in District Four! So tell me, what do you have against me?!" I can't control my anger. It's just erupting. "Do you want a fight? I'll give you a fight! And you can be sure you're the first person I kill tomorrow!"

I storm to the knife station across the room and grab half the knives off the racks. Three at a time, I throw them across the room right next to Ludwig, careful not to harm him, until all of the knives I threw form his body's shape around him. They quiver back and forth. I pick the rest of the knives and chuck them at a sandbag so hard, the bag collapses in a pile of sand.

"So thank you," I say, "for making yourself, my first target."

Everyone is still in stunned silence, the six girls I had just worked with gasping and eyes wide. The Gamemakers had stopped interviewing Regalia to look at me. Regalia gives me a feeble thumbs up.

Taksony and Cadmium return to normal training first. They grab a few axes and throw them into the wall. They're okay as long as it's short range.

I pretend nothing happened and walk to the edible plants station, feeling the need to know how to survive in the wild. Everything gradually turns back to normal, although the other tributes give me a bit of space. I'm halfway through my third plants test, when the other tributes start heading for the cafeteria for lunch. After lunch comes the private sessions.

I head into the cafeteria and the smaller tributes look a little frightened when I pass by. Yup, I'm every kid's nightmare, with my golden skin, bronze hair, perfect smile, and great wink.

The Careers have set up the group of tables for us to join together and they call me over. I sit between Blush and Dahlia. Cadmium leaves to find a cart of food and Blush and Dahlia vie for my attention.

"That was some amazing knife throwing! You should have taught me! At least we'll have time in the arena, huh?" Blush purrs.

"Oh, Finnick and I have known each other since forever!" Dahlia shoots back. "He already taught me how to throw these knives and he's great with knot tying! He fishes with nets, but you should see him with a tr-"

I clamp my hand over her mouth. I know what she was going to say. What she was going to say would reveal my secret. Trident. She was going to say trident.

She takes my hand off her mouth. "What?" She asks. "Anyways, Blush, he's amazing in the water! I've been watching him from the sand while he's in the water! The water is like crystals on his body! And those muscles! Strong as a tsunami!"

Her analogies suck. But I can see Blush's eyes getting wider and wider every second. Then she has a determined look to fight back.

"Well, Finnick likes me better, don't you, Finny?" She flirts, hand walking up my arm.

"Finnick doesn't like nicknames, Blush," Dahlia says knowingly.

"I'm sure he doesn't mind me calling him Finny, rather than you, do you Finny?" Blush says, hands up to my neck. I don't budge, but I'm afraid she'll start kissing my neck. Which will get Cadmium mad. Or maybe she'll bite my neck like a vampire.

"Umm... No, I don't care. You know what? I don't care if you call me Finny. I like when you do. It makes me feel... special..." I reply, flirting on dangerous waters as Cadmium's back is turned.

"You are special!" Blush says, closing her eyes and leaning in, lips close to me.

I give a feeble chuckle and purse my lips, slowly moving away from her as she stretches further and further to reach my lips. By that time, my head's in Dahlia's lap. Oh, God help me.

Cadmium chooses to head back to the table now and I turn my face into a mask of horror as Blush leans closer and closer.

"Dahlia, I don't know what happened," I say loudly for Cadmium to hear. "She just leaned toward me and I'm like, what? Aren't you with Cadmium? Why are you flirting with me? I'm already with, um, you."

Dahlia is a bit slow to understand, but once she does, she acts quickly. "How dare she! You didn't flirt with HER. You're MINE, Finnick!" Thank you for understanding, Dahlia!

Then, she grabs my head off her lap and kisses me passionately on the lips. So that's why she agreed to this act.

Blush looks so crestfallen. "Cad," she pleads. "He's lying! He wanted me in the first place! He leaned in first and I backed away!"

Dahlia rips our lips apart. "So why were you the one leaning toward him, huh?"

"I was, um, threatening him to kiss me, daring him to kiss me with you so close to protect me!" Blush rushes desperately. Ooh, she's good at this game.

"Careers, save the fighting for the arena!" Taksony demands. "And that anger should be directed at THEM!" He shouts and points to the other tributes around the room.

"He's right," Cadmium says stiffly. "Blush, we talk about it later. Just worry about the private session. I'm the first to go and I can't have distractions."

"Oh, so I'm a distraction to you, Cad?! How can you say that?!" Blush screams, running out of the room, tears streaming down her face.

"The drama should be us fighting for food and weapons. And it's wasted on love drama," I whisper to Dahlia, chuckling.

She laughs and gives me a kiss on the cheek, which makes me mad. "That was fake, Dahlia," I say. "Keep it up and I'll gut you after Ludwig!"

She backs away. Regalia looks rather gleeful of Blush and Dahlia's anguish. I give her an innocent, playful smile.

"Alright, team!" Taksony says. "As we all know, the private session is after lunch! Throw your heart out and get more sponsors with good scores. Everyone must get a nine to stay in this team! Eight is not acceptable! One through twelve and I need some nines, tens, and elevens! No one has gotten twelve before, so if you do, well, everyone will be surprised!"

"Uh, Taksony, when did we make you leader?" Regalia asks tentatively.

"I... I'm just leader, okay? And if you have a problem, bring it up to me! If you want to challenge my rules than you'll be my first target in the arena, understood? Now eat your lunch!" Taksony says. He's a very convincing leader, able to keep good control of us.

I eat a good meal of thin beef slices with melted cheese on bread. I eat a lot of fish, too, as I want a good meal that I probably won't get to eat for a while.

Cadmium is called for his private training session after lunch. Everyone watches in quiet respect as he goes. Regalia runs to find Blush and returns fifteen minutes later, just in time for her call. Regalia tells her something, probably advice, and she nods. She walks off into the gymnasium where we're not allowed until they call us.

The wait seens to take a long while. Taksony, Regalia, Austrinus, Cerise, and finally, Finnick. I wonder how it'd feel to be Isabelline and Carmine, District 12.

I head into the gymnasium. The Gamemakers watch me enter, eager to watch my performance. I walk to the middle of the gymnasium and turn to Reyna, the Head Gamemaker.

"You may start, Finnick Odair," Reyna says in a soothing voice.

No idea where to start I stand for a few seconds, thinking. My eyes sweep over the room. Trident. I crave it. To have that trident in my hand. To throw it and stab. But it must be my finale.

I grab vines and weave a small hut, much smaller than the one I made with the trainer and the girls. Fingers flying fast and tying complicated knots, which I tie in the air for the Gamemakers to see the utmost sophistication. I complete my hut in just under fifteen minutes. Then, I grab some knives at the knife station. The hut is the target. About to throw, I think of another idea. Flaming knives.

I walk to the fire making station and start a fire quickly. It quickly flares higher as I throw in dead, dry leaves and sticks. I grab the knives and throw them through the flame, at the hut. The hut catches fire and I throw more flaming knives. At the camouflage station, I grab a jug of water and pour it over the fire of the hut. The fire dies away.

I chuck a few spears into sandbags and they explode. I quickly sprint back to the knot tying station. The air's still smoky and I cough a lot, but I manage to weave a net. I make a few nooses from rope with enough string to be able to hang some dummies. I grab it with both the net and the ropes. I dash to a cluster of dummies. Stabbing them with a spear, I grab my nooses made from ropes and throw them around the dummies' necks. I grab a few like they weigh nothing and start to climb the cargo net carefully until around ten feet off the ground. I tie the nooses around the dummies to the cargo nets. Climbing down, I examine my work. Three dummies hung.

Reyna starts speaking, saying, "Thank you," as she sees me examining my work, thinking I'm done.

"I'm not done. I still have a grand finale," I reply, looking at her.

All the Gamemakers nod, eager for more of my performance, and Reyna allows me five more minutes.

I grab my net and run over to the trident. I pick it up and stop for a second, stroking the golden trident. So long. I haven't held one in so long. I feel a strong urge to kiss it, but I hold back.

I take inventory of the rest of the usable targets. There are around eight more dummies. Perfect.

Spinning the trident in my hand, I stab the first dummy, clearly stabbing his head off. I trap another one in my net and stab it through the heart. I grab stab two in the arm with the trident and bring then well over my head. Swinging my trident to the opposite side, the dummies are clearly impaled and I slam the trident down to the floor. The arms come right off the dummies. I then pull my trident out and stab them fatally in the heart. I throw my net over three dummies (yup, it's that big!) and pull them extremely close together. The three spikes of my trident stab the three hearts (or where the hearts would be on a normal human).

I show no mercy to the last dummy. Dropping my net, I lift the dummy with one hand and throw it in the air above me. As the dummy goes up, I throw my trident up and the trident goes clear through the dummy. The dummy and trident start to come down and I catch the trident, with the dummy still in it, and stand it upright, holding the trident.

"That was brilliant!" Reyna shouts suddenly. "You are dismissed!"

I walk to the elevator. I stop at the first floor, though, to make sure Blush and Cadmium are alright. I walk through their luxurious floor and approach a couch, where Blush and Cadmium appear to be sitting. Blush's head is in Cadmium's lap and he's stroking her hair.

"Hey, sorry about the misunderstanding before," I say. "I left behind my love at home and I just... I know how you two feel. And I guess I'm trying to make everyone confused so they won't take advantage of it, like they will if they see Blush with just you, Cadmium. I'll protect you as long as I can, of course, because I can see you guys are bonded so tight, but I obviously can't guarantee your survival."

"It's okay," Cadmium says. "I would say, 'I hope you get to see your love again' but I want to win. And Blush wants to win. If anything, I'll sacrifive myself for you, Blush."

Blush blushes and says understandingly, "See you later, Finnick!" And she and Cadmium head off to a room.

I head back to the elevator and shoot up to Floor Four. Mags and Aliya greet me, where I tell them of my success. We eagerly wait for Dahlia, who arrives ten minutes, saying the Gamemakers were impressed by her too.

We eat a delicious dinner that I don't remember, as I'm too eager to know my score. We head into the sitting room after dinner.

Caesar Flickerman, the main host and entertainer of the Games, is discussing previous Games when someone walks behind him and whispers in his ear, an he shouts that he has our scores.

Cadmium, 8. Blush, 9. Taksony, 9. Regalia, 9. Austrinus, 7. Cerise, 5. Me, Finnick Odair, 10. They must have been impressed. I don't celebrate until they announce Dahlia's score. Dahlia, 10. The scores are high this year for us Careers. I don't pay attention to the other scores until they announce Ludwig's score. 9. I'm going to have a lot of problems killing him if he's that strong.

I head to bed early instead of celebrating, to think of home, the scores, the arena, Annie. What did she think when she saw the scores? Surely utter happiness at her Finn achieving a great score. Or is she upset, maybe, that her Finn could get a high score. Making him, a monster of her nightmares, the very thing she dreaded the most besides my death?


	12. Chapter 12

Sunlight shines on my face in the morning and I want to keep living in a dream, swimming slowly under the sea-green waves of home, but allow the brightness of the sun to flare as I open my eyes and yawn. Tomorrow night is interview night and today will be prep day. I must think of an angle to play for the interviews and tomorrow, I will get to see what kind of interview clothes Fuschia has conjured up.

I take a quick shower, once again choosing to dry myself off with a towel because I despise all the technology here. I quickly grab a pair of long, tan pants that are made of light material so I can move easily in them. I grab a shirt and button up to the collar. Then unbutton. Then button again. And finally leave it unbuttoned. Today will probably be a long day of indecision.

I meet Aliya, Mags, and Dahlia in the dining room, where the silent servant, which I hear Aliya call Avoxes, are serving breakfast. I sit down quietly and the Avoxes give me a plate, which I take with a thank you. It takes me a few minutes to realize that Aliya, Mags, and Dahlia have stopped talking.

"Finnick, you don't say thank you to the Avoxes! This is their job!" Aliya shouts with panic. "Now, we need to discuss how we'll do the interview practice. I want to work with you separately so we can be more focused, but if you don't want to, I can work with you at the same time."

"Separately," Dahlia demands. Turning to me, she asks, "Is that alright, Finnick?"

"Yeah, I guess," I reply, shrugging.

"I will start with you first, Dahlia," says Aliya.

"Come," Mags tells me, walking into the sitting room. I follow, taking one last glance at Dahlia and Aliya, setting their breakfast aside and getting down to business.

I sit on the plush, white sofa, as Mags settles into a chair opposite me. She stares at me, turning her head side to side. After a few minutes, she says she's going to find the way the audience will perceive me on. Mags encourages me to answer all their questions eagerly and honestly.

"What's it like in District Four?" Mags askd, pretending to be Caesar Flickerman, the official interview man.

"I'm sure you all already know that it is hot. Summer and winter. And the sand. Sand everywhere! But it has it's nice aspects. Peaceful and there are places where you just listen to the roll of the waves. And you just know: I'm home. Of course, those are only the times when girls aren't chasing me at the beach!" I reply, giving a flirtatious wink and smile. "Well, I do fish with my dad. It's nice there, out on the water. I feel so re-energized in water. In the ocean, I'm free, like I was always meant to live in the water."

"A lot of girls chasing you, hmmm? Well, then is there any special girl you're hoping to see when you go back home? When you'll think of when you're suffering?" She asks.

"No, not really. All the girls back in District 4 are really nice and pretty. It's hard to pick! And all the girls I've seen from the Capitol are absolutely gorgeous, too! It's so hard to pick when everyone loves you!" I reply snarkily, with a straight face, even though I'm thinking of Annie.

Mags pauses for a moment. I can tell she's pulling out of the fake interview and into reality. Giving a small smile, she says, "I don't think you'll have much difficulty in your interview. Your charm seems very natural, Finnick, and your attitude makes you just the arrogant character. You will appear very attractive."

"Thank you, but, uh, do you suggest lying as needed? Especially about my, um, girlfriend?" _She might as well be my girlfriend. I love her with all I can possibly give_.

"I don't believe there's any angle that won't you get a lot of admirers nonetheless. It's your choice what and how much you want to admit the truth about your girlfriend," Mags replies.

I shrug and decide to just wing it. She kindly tells an Avox to bring tea for us to drink while we wait for Aliya and Dahlia to finish their session. I decide that the audience will fall more in love if I don't have a love back home, making the Capitol girls seem like they have a chance to be my girl- that if I make it through these Games. No, I cannot afford to be thinking this way, no "what ifs". I must get home for my Annie, waiting for her love at home in District 4.

**AN: So I figured I'm not exactly on hiatus, but not continuously writing. There'll be updates from time to time, so check back often!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A.N.: Hi guys. I'm so slow to upload/type. An unplanned city visit and trip to Rhode Island can make uploads reallyyyy slow! Hope you're all enjoying your summer/winter!**

Aliya leads me into the dining room to help me prepare for my interview. I sit comfortably and relaxed, like the reckless, carefree teen that I am. After a brief conversation with Mags, Aliya looks me over and announces that I clearly don't need her help. She releases me to hang around the hallways.

I sit near a huge floor-to-ceiling window that dominates the end of the hallway of our bedrooms. My mind drifts to Annie, who I'm constantly thinking about nowadays. Tomorrow is the interview day. What is she going to think? Is she going to believe the lies I'll probably tell on live television? I hope not because I'm pretty sure everything that will come out of my mouth tomorrow will be untrue.

-/-/-/-

My thoughts when I wake up are, as always, of Annie. I miss her silky, dark hair through my fingers, her green eyes, her sweet smile. They're my thoughts everyday, but for some reason, the thoughts are especially strong today. I take a quick shower to clear my mind, knowing that my prep team will do a better job of cleaning me up later. It's only after I brush my teeth and pull on some teal shorts when I start wondering why my prep team hasn't paid me a visit yet, or anyone else for that matter. With only my shorts on and without drying my hair, I tiptoe out of my room and knock on Dahlia's door softly.

"Hey, Dahlia, are you awake yet?" I call as loudly as I dare. I receive no reply, so I turn the knob.

I remember that I've never been inside Dahlia's bedroom before. It is similar to my room, with the same green walls and white floors. The bedspread, however, is blue, light, like the sky. Little lanterns hang over the bed, circular white orbs, but they're turned off. The bed is nicely made, the sea green pillows even fluffed up.

"Dahlia?" I call out again, but I'm pretty sure she's not here. Has her prep team already snagged her for prettying her up for the interviews tonight? I quietly exit the room and return to my own.

Aliya enters the room only a few moments after I return. She tells me an Avox will bring up breakfast for me in a few minutes and my prep team will arrive within the hour.

"Uh, where's Dahlia?" I ask her before she leaves the room.

"Dahlia's prep team arrived hours ago to get her prepared for tonight's interviews," Aliya replies, leaving the room and pulling the door closed behind her.

-/-/-/-

"Again, I fail to see the use of us!" Pamela whines in agitation.

"Nothing to change about you, honey," Nataliya tells me.

"Best to just get you dressed, then!" Mira shouts.

All that my prep team has done is wash me down properly. And they're clearly not happy about their lack of work. It seems that with wonderful "specimen" like me, there's nothing to be fixed and therefore no "fun" for them.

Fuchsia enters the room and brings a simple white t-shirt. Somehow, the material feels extremely lightweight and Fuchsia even assures me that it does wonders when I'm sweating. I'm not sure what that means, but I guess I'll find out soon when the hot stage lights are all pointing at me. On top is a blazer, the color of my eyes. Long, navy pants are added. Fuchsia looks me over a few times and tells me to do a 360 degree turn. I do as she asks and she appears to be thinking.

"Pamela, why don't you apply a light gold eyeliner to his face? Nataliya, stencil some District 4 tattoos on his face. Mira, help Nataliya." Fuchsia instructs.

As they do what Fuchsia asks, she makes some small talk, asking me how my lessons with Aliya and Mags went, as well as my training session. I tell her that I don't really have an angle for my interview, as pretending would seem too fake. I say that I'm just going to be casual, like talking to some friends back at home, but also flirty to draw in some Capitol attention and hopes, nothing _too _strong or serious. Since I'm not extremely arrogant, like my allies, I can't be that either. I've been taught to be a little grateful, too, for the life I have, constantly thanking the Capitol that I didn't end up in a place like District 12. I find myself wondering about Dahlia's angle, though. She sure has changed since her life at home, certainly become a lot stronger and worthy enough to be in our little pack of the most likely tributes to win.

In no time, my face has been slightly altered with some designs and we head downstairs, waiting at the elevator for Dahlia. She appears from the dining room with the rest of her prep team, with light green eyeshadow, a flowing sea green dress that matches my blazer. Her hair has gold streaks and her high heels match the same sparkly golden. She looks pretty good for a girl who used to be ordinary.

The stage is set up in front of the Training Center, so when we zoom down the elevator and the doors open, I'm not surprised to see many of the tributes already lining up for our three-minute-each interviews. I take a deep breath and get in line as we file up onto the stage and take our seats. With the lights aimed right at us tributes, I'm glad that Fuchsia thought the material of my shirt through because the heat is rather intense. It's not at the point where I'm already sweating, but I soon will be. I'm used to hot temperatures in District 4 and this isn't much different. Except in my district, there's the ocean to cool me down. Nothing on this stage like that, not even in the Capitol. The high-tech "Air Conditioners", as the people call it, are the closest they'll get to the real, cool waves of the ocean. As I gaze into the huge crowd gathered, I realize that every seat is filled. The most celebrated of the audience in raised stands, with the other citizens standing on the ground. I wonder if they'll get tired. At least we have chairs to sit on. Then again, we're the main event.

Caesar Flickerman is soon on the stage, bouncing in excitement, welcoming the wild crowd before us. They're extremely enthusiastic to the point of hurting my ears. Their screams only get louder when Blush steps up to the stage. But all I can think about is my interview. And the inevitable fighting in the arena. I feel strangely calm, as the interviews start.

**A.N. YAY! Finished! Next chapter should be up soon (the more fast-paced events are more enjoyable to write [and read, I'm sure])!**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Chapter 15 uploaded tomorrow (Finnick's interview yay!). This chapter's pretty much The Careers' interviews minus Finnick.**

**Disclaimer: It's been awhile soooooo... Only Finnick, Mags, Caesar, Annie, and President Snow, as well as the idea and format of the Games, are the work of the absolutely wonderful Suzanne Collins! All the other characters are my own, including all the personalities and looks of the tributes :)**

"Let's all welcome Blush, the beautiful girl from District One!" Caesar announces.

"Hello, Caesar, and everyone else!" Blush waves charmingly to the crowd. So that's her angle, the charming and sweet person that she can actually pull off with her look. Her caramel hair is wavy, with many platinum blond streaks. Her dress is a light purple one-shoulder, with more precious gems than imaginable and complete with ruffles the whole way round.

"So, Blush, first I'd like to say congratulations on your training score!" Caesar says.

"Oh, well, thank you so much! I think I've really pulled it together and learned some decent tricks these past few days!" Blush says excitedly.

I tune her out because I know how stupid her responses will be. How annoying all my allies' responses will be. Everything is fake about these interviews in my allies' eyes, just a chance for more sponsors. I wonder if those in the poorer districts will be lying. But how will I play this interview?

"Thank you, Blush!" Caesar appears to be saying when I pause he swarming thoughts in my head. It appears that Blush's interview is over.

Blush waves fabulously to the audience. She even blows them a few kisses. I only take notice that the crowd is not thunderously loud. I still have a chance to win them over because nothing matters more than their favor so I can get home to Annie. Even if I have to lie my way through this interview. I just have to pretend better than my other tributes. Blush floats back to her seat, practically glowing in the success of her interview. Or maybe it's the stage lights.

Cadmium rises and Caesar introduces him. His bright blue suit in the shade of his namesake is complete with a silver tie and black, long pants. His dark hair is nicely combed and he smiles winningly.

"Cadmium, what do you think is the one aspect about you that makes you believe you can win this?" Caesar asks, shushing the audience and officially starting the interview.

"Uh, I'd have to say it's probably my strength. That definitely plays a big role in it," Cadmium replies, even flexing his muscles for the audience which hoots loudly. I sense movement behind him. It's Taksony rolling his eyes. He sees me looking and gives me a wink.

"I see," Caesar replies, looking impressed. "So how are you liking the Capitol so far?"

"I'm glad that some things here are generally similar to District One, like the designs, the furniture in our floor of the Training Center, that kind of stuff. But there's definitely better service from, you know, the Avoxes, and a bunch of more sophisticated technology. Even the food tastes much better and some dishes are the same!" Cadmium says. He seems to be playing at a mix of angles including a little overconfidence and seems a little overestimating himself with the whole strength image, but also complimenting the Capitol. Pretty clever for the way he plays it for the audience.

"You seem very excited to be here," Caesar guesses.

"Yes, I'm very excited!" Cadmium says confidently. "I've been looking forward to this my entire life. I mean, I self taught myself some skills I need for the arena and all." He's fibbing about the self teaching. It's clear he's grown up attending their academy for training for the Games. If the crowd knew this, they didn't show it, and the people looked impressed.

Caesar nods and compliments his confidence. They talk a little about what they expect in the arena and Cadmium mentions that he's not nervous at all about the Bloodbath or anything for that matter. He's just here to collect the fame and fortune. Even I have to roll my eyes at this. The buzzer goes off and the crowd applauds, clearly louder than Blush's applause.

Regalia rises and walks into place. She has a deep purple dress with a low cut neckline and is short in the front, longer in the back, wisping about as she walks. Caesar introduces her and she says hello to the audience in a powerful voice.

"Regalia, wonderful name by the way-" Caesar starts.

"Thank you," she interrupts. I can only see the back of her head, but I imagine her eyes flicking over to his. Her arrogance can't be clearer. What is with her and my allies? I can only hope it's all over soon.

"Um, anyways..." Caesar continues, "what has made you so happy to be here at the Capitol today?"

"Well, I'm not really here for the food or the beauty of this place. So I'm just here to bring pride to my district. I mean, we've had many victors, but the fact that we've allowed some people from the outer districts to win, I mean that's embarrassing to our district, don't you think? Even to our neighbors in, like, District 1 and 4, but I just don't think some people should be mixed in the success rate of us. It's like we're not putting enough effort for our district's success." Regalia says, all this planned out carefully, targeting the audience well. Most of the audience is contemplating this and yelling out to her in agreement. They're used to being pampered and all. To them, of course it'd only make sense for the people like them to win, rather than grimy kids from District 10 or 11. I don't like the angle of putting the other districts down, but her plan is definitely working, using the Capitol's selfishness to win them over.

I immediately get nervous at the edge my allies already have. I have no doubt I can beat out my competitors in the outlying districts, but with my allies and their clever mentors, I'm not so sure of my success anymore. I surely have the determination, though, and I have to try.

Regalia starts discussing the problems involving her district's pride and soon her interview is over. The applause is much louder than Blush's and Cadmium's, that's for sure.

Taksony is up next, with a black suit edged with some silver. This way, he seems very formal looking. He takes his time, basking in the spotlight. Caesar starts the interview wondering what aspect makes him think he can win. He responds by pretty much bragging about being the best fighter at school and being on the wrestling team, but claiming he found he was very talented with the sword only when he started training here. A clear lie, but the crowd starts cheering upon hearing his talent. It's not cheating, apparently, if the school offers such sports and he does well in them... well, it can only be due to his so called talent. He's definitely playing this as well as Regalia, blowing Blush and Cadmium's interviews out of the water. The problem is that I have to beat all four of their interviews.

Taksony reveals his muscles, even bigger than Cadmium's. Leave it to him to want to show off more than his own ally. Unfortunately, I have to do the same soon enough. He mentions that he thinks the competition just won't be as tough this year. He mentions that from the looks of it, we've picked up a bunch of scrawny kids. I glance at some of the girls I built my hut with in training, knowing that they are more talented than their figure lets on, and their expressions range from disbelief at such rudeness to anger to hurt. The audience clearly likes Taksony better than Cadmium and their applause shows it. I think it's because Taksony makes it clear his background gives him a great advantage. He has "actual proof" of his claims. By the time his buzzer goes off, half the Capitol must be betting on him. I hope they'll change their minds after hearing me talk. It's hope I'll need to cling onto because right now, it's the only thing I can hang onto.

Cerise and Austrinus do their interviews, which I don't really pay attention to because they don't seem like potential threats to me. Their interviews pass quickly and they only receive light applause.

Dahlia rises and I tell her good luck. Even though I don't really like her much, the Games seem to have make her tougher, stripping her of the silly girl she was back home, and I respect her for adapting to the change so fast. Her interview starts with praise for her training score and she lets on that to be honest, she's always been a gossip girl, one of those people who loves looking in the mirror all the time. She reinforces the idea by yelling to the audience, "You all know what I mean, right? It's not a crime to love how you look!" She mentions how she's toughened up, though, and she lets it slip- purposely, that she's gotten great a knife throwing and that's what everyone has to watch out for. She reaches to a hidden back pocket and appears to be bringing something out, throwing it at the audience. Most people cringe and look away in fear. Then they realize she only threw some glitter and laugh in delight. Mags has done a pretty good job with her angle of being so likeable.

Caesar jokes how scared he was that she'd pull out a knife and the crowd screams the same. Dahlia gives a light laugh. I realize that my district partner is actually a very nice person to be around. Unless she's faking all this. From the way she talks, though, it seems genuine. Thunderous applause follows as her buzzer goes off and she heads back to her seat.

I whisper a quick "You were great!" to her and stand up. She squeezes my arm softly and wishes me luck. I quickly glance over at my allies, who are glaring at Dahlia. She showed that she was someone to fear, but also showed that she was definitely a humorous and good person at the same time. I actually feel proud to have an ally like her, for once.

I welcome the lights and the applause that come when I walk to the center of the stage. With my heart thumping and my mind racing, the interview starts.

**AN: Please review! I read ALL the reviews and you can just share any thoughts at all with me (complain how I completely abandoned you lovelies throughout the school year, tell me my writing sucks [include the reasoning], tell me you love it.) I WANT to hear your feedback so I can make it better for you all! **

**With the interviews over soon, we can move on to the more exciting arena time. If I'm moving too slowly in the storyline, I'd love to hear it!**

** Share with friends! Enjoy! Read my other fanfiction (which I regretfully haven't updated in so long... and will do so now!**

**SUPER IMPORTANT (is anyone reading this?)**

**Oh by the way, I'm starting Teen Wolf fanfiction soon, so if anyone is a fan of that... stay tuned! **


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Enjoy! This was actually really fun to write! Chapter 16 up at the end of the day tomorrow!**

"Hi," I shout to the people. "I'm Finnick."

"Wow, Finnick, you look... exactly the same as when we see you on repeats," Caesar says, amazed. "How does that work?"

"Oh, heh," I laugh. I find the audience laughing along with me and some girls yell "I LOVE YOU!" as my brain races for an answer. Luckily, I've been great at acting. I've had to act around lovesick girls all the time. "My prep team actually didn't have much to do since I arrived."

Everyone in the room gasps and glances at the stylists that have the front row in their honor. Even Caesar looks surprised.

"I don't mean to offend them!" I shout quickly, careful to make my face express concern.

"Oh, Finnick, we understand," Caesar recovers, reaching over and patting my hand as if to reassure me. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, we'd better look more closely at Finnick's natural beauty then. I mean, wow, you're truly a wonder!"

"Thank you," I say politely and thankfully as the crowd yells out compliments.

"So, Finnick, tell us your secret! How is it possible that you're so, excuse my lack of better language yo describe you, gorgeous but natural? We all want in!" Caesar asks.

"I don't think the sun's any different in District Four," I start, waiting for the laughs to subside. "But you definitely get plenty of sunshine. Where there's beaches, there's sun! I just have to make sure not to get burned. That perfect mix of hydration and sunshine gives you a pretty good tan and the right color. Your complexion will be amazing!"

"Speaking of beaches, do you work yet?" Caesar asks curiously.

"Yeah, I do. I help my dad catch the fish and all," I reply. The crowd gives a collective gasp as if it's not a respectable job. It's a perfectly fine job to have in District Four, but I suppose in a place like this, people can't help being disgusted. "It's not like you think- gutting fish and all that bloody mess. I pretty much spear the fish. I probably bring in half the fish we sell."

"How much muscle do you have packed under that blazer?" Caesar asks.

I quickly glance at Fuchsia in the front row. I'm unsure of what to do, really. Luckily, her eyes are on mine and when they meet she mouths some helping words. Take off the blazer.

I comply, realizing that was Caesar's intent. I can't say he doesn't help the tributes do their best to impress on these interviews. With whoops and cheers, I flex my arms. Even with the arrogance and strength of my allies, they can't capture the audience like I can with my looks.

Caesar whistles, then calms the audience down. There are increased screams of loving me and even some rich girls fainting near the front. I look innocently back at Caesar and point at him, directing the attention back to the interview before I run out of time.

"Again, some more explaining, Finnick. No doubt you've got hidden muscles underneath those pants of yours, but how- just, we all want to be able to understand how you've gotten the body that you've so luckily developed!" Caesar sputters.

"Well, I've had lots of muscles from fishing, of course, which made me also developed deadly accuracy when throwing a spear or using knives. I'd say that's one of my biggest strength to be using in the arena. I have experience, you know, like Taksony. But back to the question. Obviously, I'm a great swimmer, so I get the muscles from that. And if the arena happens to have any swimming involved, I'll be ready for that." I keep dropping some hints about my strengths and good aspects about survival. "And of course, I have the practice from running from girls all my life!"

"Speaking of which, then, do you have a special girl at home waiting for you? One you'll have to break some pretty girls' hearts for when you win this thing?" Caesar asks.

Fingering my necklace, my district token, my gift from my only love Annie, I look directly at the camera and say, "No, there's no person special for me except for my parents. I imagine the girls will be even more crazy for me when I win this thing and I guess I'll find the perfect match for me then."

With that, the buzzer goes of and the crowd is ecstatic. They are going absolutely nuts, shouting compliments and even throwing flowers. I don't even know where the flowers came from. I wink at the crowd, flex a few more times, and even give a wide smile. I know that the crowd has seen my pearly white teeth. If possible, the crowd seems even more rowdy, screaming how much they love me and how they wish for more time to hear me talk. With that dramatic shouting, I take my exit and sit back down.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Someone send a Teen Wolf ship to me inside a review and I'll do that ship for my new fanfiction :)**

**Please review this chapter! I don't get reviews anymore.**

The applause is so long and loud that it looks like the other tributes will have to do their interviews another day. But of course that's not going to happen. I know that the audience isn't paying attention to any more interviews, even strong Ludwig's. As the interviews whiz by, I briefly listen to Alula's interview, as well as Thistle. Their interviews are okay at best, not attracting a crowd, but I know that they have strength. I can't imagine killing young, innocent girls like these. Then again, they could turn out to be pretty vicious, too, with that possible pack of girls including Sienna, Alessandesse, Fawn, and Isabelline.

Exhausted after the interviews, the anthem plays and we flood the elevators in hot pursuit of much needed rest. After all, tomorrow is the big day. I accept the enthusiastic congratulations my prep team, Fuchsia, Aliya, Mags, and Dahlia give, but I'm too tired to really say much back. I do, however, wish Dahlia luck, as the next time I'll see her will be in the arena. I say my goodbyes to Mags, Aliya, and my prep team, as I won't be seeing them tomorrow morning. At least I'll be able to get prepared by Fuchsia tomorrow.

I head into my bedroom and take off my blazer and shirt, changing my long pants for shorts. Climbing into bed, my thoughts are of Annie. Hopefully, she saw me touch my necklace before my big lie to the nation. I just hope she remembers how much she means to me, that everything I said to her was the truth. I close my eyes and sleep comes easily, but I find myself back awake after a couple of hours. The nerves of the next day's events are preventing me from getting rest. I toss and turn, knowing sleep won't come.

I reach for my necklace and run my fingers over the tiny words and the smooth surface. It calms me, thinking of Annie, but also frightens me- the fact that I might not be able to get back to her. I know I shouldn't be thinking this way, especially with the amazing success of the night, but I can't help thinking how devastated she'll be if I come home in a coffin rather than alive.

**AN: ****VERY short chapter of Finnick's night, kind of a filler, but don't worry, the next chapter will be EPIC! Keep checking back for new chapters!**


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